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NBA Trades and Signings for 2016-17 Season: Will Kings Contend with Ty Lawson? Veteran Adds Point Guard Depth

Will it be another wrong decision or the best steal of the offseason?

Ty Lawson had it rough the past season. Jumping from team-to-team, the 28-year-old is nearing the twilight of his career, and is yet to find the right home to stay and perform in.

Every season is a new chance for redemption, and for Lawson, a door opened with the Sacramento Kings. With Sac town's point guard needs, the 5'11" floor general might be seeing meaningful minutes in purple and black.

One year in the making

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Lawson reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Kings, per Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. However, it had not been the first time the point guard thought about playing in Sacramento.

When the Nuggets picked Emmanuel Mudiay seventh overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, Lawson tweeted he was going to the Kings. George Karl took the reins at Sacramento last year, and Lawson may have wanted a reunion with the coach who brought out the best in him.

However, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Houston had a capable roster under Coach Kevin McHale, which included dominant All-Star center Dwight Howard and franchise superstar James Harden. Both of these men need an able point guard who can make intricate passes and create chances for himself. For instance, Howard can use a helping hand in the post, while Harden can benefit from kick-out passes on the perimeter.

Unfortunately, he was never able to emulate the good years he had with Denver, who even climbed up to third seed of the Western Conference in the 2012-13 season. In his six years with the Nuggets, he had combined per-game averages of 14.2 points—off 47 percent shooting and 37 percent three-pointers made—6.6 assists, 1.2 steals while playing 31.1 minutes per game.

With the Rockets, Lawson played only 22.2 minutes per game, being demoted to the bench when J.B. Bickerstaff took the coaching job. He understandably scored 5.8 points per game in a Harden-focused offense, but he also got only 3.4 assists per game. He was traded to Indiana in the middle of the season, where his numbers slipped into career-lows in points per game, assists and shooting percentages.

In addition to his disappointing stat line, Lawson was also recently arrested for charges of driving under the influence of alcohol. These bumps in his record made it even harder for him to secure a deal with a good team.

Problem solved?

However, Sacramento's pick of Lawson might be going in the right direction. After Rajon Rondo got traded to the Chicago Bulls earlier this year, new starting point Darren Collison currently faces domestic abuse charges and might not be able to step up to the plate. This leaves the Kings with no other option but Garrett Temple, who is not even a point guard.

Lawson will provide Sacramento's passing needs, maybe even at starting point until Collison gets his issues straightened out—it all depends on new coach Dave Joerger's plan. He may still be far from being a franchise mainstay, this could at least be a chance for Lawson to prove that he is still an important piece any NBA team can go for.

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