Ty Lawson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kings Notes: Lawson, Cousins, Team Chemistry

October 19th, 2016 at 4:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

There are no lingering issues between the Kings and Ty Lawson in regards to Saturday’s missed flight, according to the point guard, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee relays (Twitter links). Lawson said it was a “personal” matter and added that he hadn’t been told that he would be fined for the incident.

Here’s more out of Sacramento:

Lawson’s teammates are supportive of him and they are ready to move past the incident, James Ham of Comcast Sportsnet writes. “It’s a family situation, this is a family and when you say family in the huddle, you don’t just mean it, you’ve got to show it,” new addition Matt Barnes said. “He’s going through stuff right now off the court. I reached out to him because I’ve been through everything off the court personally. We’ve been talking a lot lately and this is something we’re going to help him get through because he’s a very important member of this team. Family is most important for us and we realize that sometimes it’s bigger than basketball.”
The Kings are a work-in-progress and there was a noticeable disconnect with the team during Tuesday’s preseason loss to the Clippers, as Ham writes in a separate piece. Ham notes that the defensive effort wasn’t consistent and players were quick to take contested shots rather than find the open man. Despite the issues, DeMarcus Cousins remains optimistic about the team. “I think we took a step back tonight, but I think we’re on the right path, that’s the positive thing about it,” Cousins said. “We’re going to be as good as we decide to be.”
Cousins continues to stress that it will take time for the Kings to come together, as Ham passes along in that same piece. “Patience would be very important,” Cousins said. “Especially for me. But it’s going to be a process. It’s a new system. A new group of guys. I mean, it’s tough for me. I can be honest, it’s tough for me. It’s going to be a process.”

Western Notes: Gasol, Lawson, Dekker, McGee

October 17th, 2016 at 10:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With Donatas Motiejunas still unsigned after the forward let his qualifying offer expire on October 1st, second-year player Sam Dekker is likely to receive extended playing time at power forward for the Rockets, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com writes. “I’m just worried about making plays on both ends of the court in any way that I can contribute, and if it’s at the 4, then so be it,” Dekker said. “I know I have a skill set that can play many positions. I’m embracing it, embracing that it will be my role this year. It’s a long season. Things can change, but if right now if [coach Mike D’Antoni] wants me at the backup 4, then I’m going to do that and play my hardest.”

Here’s more from out West:

Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale told the media today that an MRI taken on Marc Gasol‘s right foot revealed a bone bruise, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays. The coach noted that the bone bruise is not in the navicular bone, which Gasol had surgically repaired after breaking last season, and that he expects the center to be “just fine” for the season opener, the scribe adds.
According to Kings coach Dave Joerger, there was no incident with point guard Ty Lawson, who missed a flight to Saturday’s game in Kentucky, James Ham of CSNBayArea.com tweets. Despite a report from ESPN’s Marc Stein that stated the team was upset with Lawson, Joerger said that the point guard will remain a member of the Kings, Ham adds.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said center JaVale McGee has a “good chance” of making the team’s regular season roster, Anthony Slater of The Mercury News relays. McGee is signed to a one-year, minimum salary deal with no guaranteed money.
The Lakers still have two roster cuts to make in order to reach the regular season maximum of 15 players. Coach Luke Walton is still undecided on who will stay and who will go, telling Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link) that he has “no idea” who he’s going to waive just yet. The three players who are likely on the bubble are Metta World Peace, Yi Jianlian and Thomas Robinson.

Kings Demand Meeting After Lawson Misses Flight

October 16th, 2016 at 5:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Ty Lawson‘s future with the Kings may be in jeopardy after missing a flight to Saturday’s game in Kentucky, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It’s the latest off-court incident for the point guard, who also reportedly showed up late for a shootaround in Las Vegas this week.

Team officials will meet with Lawson to hear his explanation, but it appears they are growing tired of the incidents already. Stein hears that there was considerable disagreement within the organization about signing Lawson, so the team may not be willing to overlook these latest transgressions.

Lawson has a long history of behavioral problems, including four DUIs that resulted in two suspensions last season. The Kings officially said he missed Saturday’s game for “personal reasons.”

Sacramento signed Lawson to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal in late August. He was seen as a veteran backup for Darren Collison and an emergency fill-in while Collison served his suspension in a domestic assault case, which turned out to be eight games. Last month, the Kings signed veteran point guard Jordan Farmar, who would presumably take over Lawson’s role if he is released.

Lawson was traded from the Nuggets to the Rockets last summer, but was waived in midseason because of poor production. He signed with the Pacers through the end of the season, but got few offers in free agency.

The Kings had been supportive of Lawson before this week’s incidents, Stein notes, with coach Dave Joerger saying, “He has good leadership qualities. You can tell why he’s been a winner.”

Kings Notes: Lawson, Collison, Cauley-Stein

October 3rd, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

After four arrests for driving under the influence, the most significant obstacle for Ty Lawson as the guard tries to revive his career on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Kings is himself, Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes. Lawson’s presence is vital for the Kings, who learned Sunday that Darren Collison will be suspended for eight games to start the season following his arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charges, Voisin adds. What’s more, the Kings lost Rajon Rondo in free agency, which ultimately led to taking a chance on Lawson, as Voisin points out.

“We went over the (free agent) list and evaluated everybody and in terms of talent, nobody was close to Ty,” Kings GM Vlade Divac said. “But we needed to meet with him and talk about a few things before we offered a contract.”

Here’s more out of Sacramento:

Collison’s eight-game suspension represents just a fraction of the 24 games Jeff Taylor received in 2014 for his misdemeanor domestic violence arrest. However, a person with knowledge of the investigation tells Sam Amick of USA Today that the same domestic violence experts consulted in the Taylor decision were used in the Collison case.
While it seems to be an unlikely pairing, Kings big man Willie Cauley-Stein tells James Ham of CSNBayArea.com that Peja Stojakovic, the team’s VP of player personnel and development, has been mentoring him in preparation for the 2016/17 season. “Especially in the summer time, I did a lot of work,” Cauley-Stein said. “Our goal every day was to make 700 shots. So by the end of the week, we were making thousands of shots.”
The Kings will play in the brand-new Golden 1 Center this season, an arena owner Vivek Ranadive calls “the world’s best,” per USA Today (video link). Former commissioner David Stern, who played a significant part in overseeing the sale of the Kings to Ranadive, vowed in a Sacramento Bee interview that he’ll be there for the team’s home opener.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Pacific Notes: Gay, West, Pierce, Lawson, Warriors

September 27th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

A report last week indicated that Rudy Gay will opt out of his contract with the Kings in 2017, and the veteran forward confirmed as much when he spoke to reporters on Monday. “I made the decision to opt out,” Gay said during the club’s media day, per Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “Whether I sign here, whether I’m here the rest of the season or whether I start here, it’s really not up to me. Wherever I am, I’m going play to the best of my ability.”

While Gay has not explicitly requested a trade, his comments on Monday, and throughout the offseason, suggest he’s not overly excited about spending another season with the Kings, so it will be interesting to see how aggressive the team is as it explores potential trade scenarios in the coming weeks or months.

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

The Warriors‘ season-long recruitment of Kevin Durant last year was well-chronicled, and apparently Durant wasn’t the only free-agent-to-be Golden State pursued prior to July. According to David West, the Warriors reached out to his agent immediately after the Spurs were eliminated from the postseason by the Thunder in May (Twitter link via Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post).
Noting that the Clippers‘ elimination last season “left a bad taste” in his mouth, Paul Pierce explained why he decided to return to the team for one more year, and Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com has the details and quotes.
Ty Lawson is hoping to rebuild his image and his NBA career with the Kings this season, per Michael Wagaman of The Associated Press (link via The Denver Post). “I think I’ve grown a lot and I’m just ready to move forward,” Lawson said. “I heard a GM said, ‘I think he lost a step. He can’t shoot anymore.’ I’ve got a lot to prove and I got a chip on my shoulder to prove it.”
Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders provides some salary information for the Warriors, tweeting that Cameron Jones, Scott Wood, and Elgin Cook all received $50K guarantees on their one-year deals. There’s a good chance those three players end up with Golden State’s D-League affiliate.

Kings Rumors: Point Guards, Gay, McLemore

September 23rd, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes in his latest piece, most NBA teams avoid making trades in training camp, preferring to wait until at least December to give their rosters a chance to mesh. However, the Kings still have multiple trade candidates on its roster, and they don’t have much depth at point guard, so it’s not out of the question that the team could make a move within the next month or so.

Here are a few of the highlights from Jones:

Currently, the Kings have 14 players on guaranteed salaries, and the team’s 15th man is expected to be a point guard — likely either Ty Lawson, Jordan Farmar, or Isaiah Cousins. According to Jones, the decision on which point guards make the regular-season roster could end up being tied to a possible Rudy Gay trade.
Sacramento has made Ben McLemore available in trade discussions for months, but Jones suggests (via Twitter) that the coaching staff has really connected with the fourth-year guard and is excited to see how he performs this season. At one point it seemed like a lock that McLemore would be dealt, but he has impressed the Kings lately, says Jones.
One another Kings veteran expected to be traded this summer was center Kosta Koufos, Jones notes. Koufos, whose name was connected to trade rumors in July and August, is fairly affordable at $8MM, given the free agent prices this offseason, but Sacramento has yet to find an acceptable deal.

Poll: Ty Lawson’s NBA Future

September 6th, 2016 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Ty Lawson never earned an All-Star nod during his six years in Denver, he was playing at an All-Star level during his final couple seasons with the Nuggets. In 2013/14, the former first-round pick averaged a career-high 17.6 PPG to go along with 8.8 APG and 1.6 SPG. A year later, he increased his APG to 9.6 while chipping in 15.2 PPG and 1.2 SPG.

However, Lawson’s playing career was derailed by a series of off-court incidents, including multiple DUI arrests and a stint in an alcohol treatment facility. The Nuggets sent him to the Rockets, who eventually waived him. Lawson joined the Pacers for the end of the 2015/16 season and for the playoffs, but he looked like a shell of his former shelf in Houston and Indiana, setting new career lows in categories like PPG, FG%, 3PT%, FT%, and several others.

In 2016/17, Lawson will get a fresh start in Sacramento, having signed a one-year, non-guaranteed deal with the Kings. As Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders writes, many people close to Lawson believe he can bounce back and show that he’s capable of being a starting NBA point guard once again, while others around the league believe this might be his last shot to stick on an NBA roster.

The Kings lost starting point guard Rajon Rondo in free agency, and Darren Collison will almost certainly face a suspension from the league after agreeing to a plea deal in a domestic violence case. Sacramento has a couple other candidates for that point guard spot on its roster – including free agent signee Garrett Temple – but the door is open for Lawson to potentially earn the starting job to begin the regular season.

What do you expect from Lawson in Sacramento this season, and in general going forward? Will he bounce back from an awful year and recapture the form that made him a standout player in Denver? Is last year’s production the new normal for Lawson? Does he have a decent NBA future ahead of him, or was 2015/16 the beginning of the end? Weigh in below with your vote and your comments!

Trade Rumors App users, click here to vote.

Kings Notes: Arena, Thompson, Lawson

September 1st, 2016 at 9:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The estimated cost of the new Kings’ arena has risen by approximately $79MM to $556.6MM, Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee reports. The Golden 1 Center, which is scheduled to open in a month, was originally projected to cost $447MM, a figure that was revised to $477MM during groundbreaking in October 2014, Kasler continues. The latest estimate represents a $21.7MM increase in just the past month, though the additional costs must be paid by Kings chairman Vivek Ranadive and the other team owners, according to Kasler. The city’s subsidy for the arena was capped at $255MM. The construction of a downtown practice facility, and reconfiguring of the original design to create more lower bowl seats, were among the reasons for the additional costs, Kasler adds.

In other developments concerning the Kings:

The club will work out swingman Mychel Thompson, brother of Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson, international journalist David Pick tweets. Mychel Thompson has played parts of the last three seasons with the D-League Santa Cruz Warriors. He also appeared in 14 games with Pallacanestro Varese of Italy last season before rejoining Santa Cruz.
Point guard Ty Lawson made a foolhardy decision last summer when he consented to give up $13.2MM in salary non-guaranteed to facilitate a trade from the Nuggets to the Rockets, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders points out (Twitter links). Lawson was subsequently waived and wound up with the Pacers, where he played 13 games. He couldn’t find a team before he signed a $1.3MM summer contract with the Kings on Wednesday that offers him no salary protection, even if he’s injured.

Kings Sign Ty Lawson To One-Year Deal

August 31st, 2016 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 31: The Kings have officially signed Lawson, the team announced today in a press release. According to a report from CSNCalifornia.com, the point guard’s one-year deal isn’t guaranteed, so the team won’t be on the hook for his full salary if he’s cut before January 10.

AUGUST 28: The Kings have reached an agreement with free agent point guard Ty Lawson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Sacramento is signing Lawson to a one-year contract for the coming season.

Lawson visited the Kings on Saturday and ultimately decided to sign with the team despite having also received “serious interest” from the Pelicans, tweets Wojnarowski. The 28-year-old has seen his career trajectory change significantly within the last couple years, after he was arrested multiple times on DUI charges and spent time in rehab.

A 2009 first-round pick, Lawson became the Nuggets’ full-time starting point guard during the 2011/12 season, and averaged 16.4 PPG to go along with 8.0 APG over the next four years. However, Denver sent him to the Rockets last July, and Houston subsequently waived him. Over the course of the 2015/16 season, Lawson appeared in 66 total regular-season games, averaging 5.7 PPG and 3.6 APG in part-time roles for the Rockets and the Pacers, who signed him late in the season.

The Kings had been on the lookout for point guard help this offseason, having lost Rajon Rondo in free agency. Rondo’s departure left Darren Collison as the team’s de facto starter at the point, but Collison is facing domestic violence charges, which could eventually lead to a suspension depending on how the case plays out.

While Sacramento added Garrett Temple in free agency and Isaiah Cousins in the draft, Temple is more of a combo guard than a pure point guard, and Cousins was a late second-rounder who has yet to sign a contract.

The terms of Lawson’s contract aren’t yet known. Sacramento doesn’t have any cap room left, but the team has yet to use its $2.898MM room exception. So the veteran point guard could either get a minimum-salary deal or something slightly larger, if the Kings dip into that room exception.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ty Lawson Had Planned To Meet With Pelicans

August 29th, 2016 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

After visiting the Kings on the weekend, free agent point guard Ty Lawson had planned to meet with Pelicans officials early this week, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. However, Lawson ultimately cancelled that meeting when Sacramento made a contract offer, which he accepted.

Within his initial report on Lawson’s deal with the Kings, Wojnarowski noted that the Pelicans had “serious interest” in the 28-year-old. Lawson has significant upside, but is coming off the worst season of his career and has dealt with off-field problems in recent years, as he was arrested multiple times on DUI charges and spent time in rehab.

The Pelicans are currently poised to enter the season with Jrue Holiday as their starting point guard and Tim Frazier backing him up. Other backcourt players, such as Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway, could occasionally handle the ball, but aren’t really point guards. As such, Lawson probably would have had to battle Frazier for the No. 2 spot on the point guard depth chart if he had landed in New Orleans.

The path to playing time might be a little simpler for Lawson in Sacramento, where Rajon Rondo is no longer manning the point. Darren Collison looks like the Kings’ starter, with Garrett Temple backing him up. However, Collison is facing domestic violence charges and Temple – while capable of playing the point – isn’t really a pure point guard.

Terms of Lawson’s new deal with the Kings aren’t yet known, but it will be interesting to see if Sacramento offered him more money than New Orleans would have been able to, in order to convince him to cancel that meeting. The Pelicans used most of their $2.9MM room exception on Frazier, and would have had to offer Lawson a minimum-salary deal, while the Kings still have their full room exception available.