The Houston Rockets were the only team to gamble on Ty Lawson but the chemistry did not seem to work.
Now, the Rockets have relegated Lawson to the bench following the unceremonious departure of Kevin McHale, as ESPN reports. In his stead, veteran Jason Terry will start at the one.
"We like the leadership that 'Jet' brings with that first group," Bickerstaff said. "Then we'll bring those other guys in off the bench."
Despite his off-court issues, the Rockets were desperate to upgrade at the point, and Lawson used to be one of the better skippers in the West. This is why Lawson got a hefty contract for the Nuggets.
The Rockets got Lawson to agree to make the last year of his contract non-guaranteed, and this will improve their chances to trade him. But where?
The New York Knicks were reported to have genuine interest in Ty Lawson. For one thing, he is a former teammate of Carmelo Anthony. This was reported by ESPN 1045. The trade would involve Jose Calderon, whom the Knicks are also aggressively shopping.
It was observed that the reason why Lawson did not work out for the Rockets is that Harden wanted to take over ball handling duties. Lawson is a ball-heavy point guard compared to Calderon, and the latter would be a slightly better fit alongside Harden.
It is also hoped that a change of scenery could help Lawson, especially if Carmelo Anthony supports him. If Lawson performs like he did before, the Knicks "|could find themselves with a very savvy and young backcourt, including last season's breakout player Langston Galloway and recently drafted Jerian Grant."
Lawson could help the Knicks in their playoff bid and possibly earn himself a new contract. For the Rockets, they need to make some changes, and this could be one of them.