NBA Trade Rumors 2015: Rockets Assure Point Guard Ty Lawson He's Not On The Trading Block
Ty Lawson came to Houston after a trade with the Denver Nuggets, with the Rockets hoping to stabilize their backcourt to get a better chance of grabbing the Western Conference championship this year, something they failed against the eventual world champions, Golden State Warriors.
But after a bad start to the season and the firing of head coach Kevin McHale, the talk of the point guard being shopped by the team is nothing new. Lawson's name has been a fixture in recent trade talks, but team officials are saying otherwise.
While the team is currently 10th in the West with an 8-11 record, the primary objective is to win games fast. So although they're telling their point guard he's not going to be traded, that of course is just a ploy to make sure he's going to do his best on the court. It's kind of difficult really to tell a player to play well when he's been informed in advance that he's being shipped out. That's why most players only learn about getting traded when it comes official.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Except for an isolated run-in with the law, Lawson, to be fair, has been a good point guard in the league. He made a decent impact on Denver before getting traded, but it can't be denied that he's having a really mediocre start for the Rockets.
Although a lot of teams will be interested in his services, it is highly unlikely Houston will give him up without something more valuable in return. It should be noted that the reason why Lawson was acquired in the first place was because the teams wants to win now — they're not in a rebuilding mode. They need someone who can easily complement the shoot-first attitude of James Harden, as well as someone who can set up Dwight Howard in the post. Lawson looks to be that kind of a player, though he still needs time to prove himself.
The point guard out of North Carolina is due to earn $12.4 million this year, but the $13.21 million salary he's expected to get next season isn't fully guaranteed. With McHale's departure, the 28-year-old saw his playing time significantly reduced, but he'll be a major factor come playoff time, provided he's not going anywhere until the February trade deadline.
