Ty Lawson and the Nuggets seem fed up with each other.
Kings coach George Karl, who previously coached the point guard in Denver, reportedly wants him.
Could the teams find a deal?
Chad Ford of ESPN on Denver trading Lawson to Sacramento for the No. 6 pick in the draft:
Lawson is probably better than whomever the Kings will draft at No. 6, but the draft pick offers a few advantages:
1. He’ll be younger and have more upside.
2. He’ll be cheaper – though Lawson’s salary is a reasonable $12,404,495 and $13,213,482 the next two years.
3. He’ll be under team control for five seasons to Lawson’s two.
4. He might be better than Lawson. Lawson is a known quantity, and he falls short of star level. The NBA is a stars’ league, so it might make sense to gamble on someone who might become a star, even the odds are against it.
Rejecting the trade at least speaks some organizational competence for the dysfunctional Kings. They’ve been too focused on the short term, and trading a valuable draft pick for a veteran who helps them miss the playoffs by fewer games would have been well within their character.
I don’t find Denver’s offer completely unreasonable. But given how low Lawson’s stock has sunk, Sacramento is wise to hold off. I’d rather risk someone else swooping in on Lawson than missing the chance to negotiate a more favorable trade.