NBA Rumors: Houston Rockets Release Ty Lawson, Possibly Headed To New York Knicks

NBA rumors have surrounded Ty Lawson since the early part of the season when he struggled to fit in with the Houston Rockets. Many believed that he was going to be moved to another team before the trade deadline. While that never happened, the veteran guard has now been released by the Rockets, according to ESPN. In his quest to find a new home in the National Basketball Association, Lawson is going to take a very close look at the unique situation with the New York Knicks.

Last summer, the Houston Rockets sent four players and a first round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for the rights to Ty Lawson. Immediately, the expectations were high because of what the team sacrificed to make the trade happen. Lawson was supposed to bring his dynamic style of play to the Rockets back court and alleviate some of the offensive pressure that was James Harden, the franchise player that can score with the best of the best in the NBA.

Eleven games into the season, Ty Lawson ends up losing his starting job. That affected his confidence greatly, as he struggled throughout the rest of the season. Things got so bad for the Houston Rockets that it cost Kevin McHale his head coaching job. The franchise has tried to salvage the season, but many are quietly believing that it’s time to look towards next season, which is a big reason why Lawson was given his release before the Tuesday deadline.

Now that he has been released, Ty Lawson has two choices. He can either find an NBA Championship contender and see if he can latch on to their bench. The Chicago Bulls are a team that might be interested in back court help, especially since Jimmy Butler is on the sidelines with an injury. Lawson can also take the more long-term approach by finding a team that will highlight his skills and show interest in signing him to an extended contract this summer.

Mathematically, the New York Knicks haven’t been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. However, with the team losing eight out of their last ten games, the belief is that it is time to look forward to the next season. One of the biggest things that Knicks president Phil Jackson needs to address is his back court. After failing to secure an upgrade before the NBA Trade Deadline, Jackson could give his team a bit of a head start by taking a look at Ty Lawson for the remainder of the season.

With nothing really left to lose this season, the New York Knicks can take a gamble by signing Ty Lawson for the remainder of the season. It’s a low-risk contract. Lawson can be handed the starting point guard spot for the Knicks, which would enable Jose Calderon to become a bench player. If it works out, then New York doesn’t need to worry about the position, but if it doesn’t, then they go back to the drawing board as originally planned.

One of the things that Ty Lawson excelled at when he was the starting point guard for the Denver Nuggets was driving into the lanes and finding his big men for open shots. The New York Knicks have a pretty decent big man in Kristaps Porzingis. The Latvian rookie happens to love slashing through the lanes, leaping high into the air and coming down crashing the rim with a spectacular dunk that energizes the audience at Madison Square Garden.

[Featured Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images]