Carmelo Anthony and Ty Lawson (Photo : Alex Goodlett | Getty Images Sport)
The NBA teams still have a chance to fortify their lineups as Ty Lawson is officially added to the buyout list.
According to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Rockets have already agreed with the former Denver Nuggets guard on a settlement. Woj states that only the paperwork needs to be settled.
Wojnarowski added: "After an initial apprehension to parting with Lawson after the NBA trade deadline, the Rockets will use the savings from the buyout to clear salary-cap space and likely sign another guard, league sources said."
The Rockets are precariously sitting on eighth place in the Western Conference with a record of 29-31, but the Utah Jazz are breathing down their necks.
The Yahoo scribe also hinted at possible candidates to acquire Lawson, although he emphasized that he does not have "predetermined" destinations.
"Lawson, 28, could be attractive to playoff teams searching for guard depth, or those out of the postseason race that'll want to give him the chance at a test run for the future."
One of the teams most likely to be interested in Lawson is the New York Knicks. They still have a gaping hole at the point guard spot and Lawson was Carmelo Anthony's teammate in Denver.
However, they would not be alone. Rant Sports listed teams that could take a look at Lawson. They were not interested in trading assets for him and he also had a steep salary. All that changes in a buyout and Lawson is now a low-risk investment, or insurance for the playoffs.
Teams like the Chicago Bulls who has an uncertain rotation at the guard spot, along with the departure of Kirk Hinrich, could consider Lawson.
Also, Rant Sports suggested Lawson for the Washington Wizards as a back-up for John Wall. He can also play alongside Wall when they adopt their small-ball lineup.
These are pure speculation for the playoff teams, but a team like the Milwaukee Bucks was also seeking point guard help as they no longer seem to be sold on Michael Carter-Williams. There were trade rumors about Lawson to the Bucks, but since they seem to be out of the playoff race, they may just wait for the offseason.
