Ty Lawson (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Houston Rockets are speculated to be shopping summer acquisition Ty Lawson as the team is trying to retain their status as playoff contenders in the Western Conference.
The Rockets started the NBA 2015-2016 regular season poorly, leading them to fire Kevin McHale from his head coaching job.
But despite firing who they think was the culprit for the team's early season woes, the Rockets are still not able to keep their winning ways, mostly because "James Harden's play hasn't been as good as it could be and off-season acquisitions aren't working out like the team would have liked them to," according to Charles Rahrig Sports Illustrated's Fansided.
One of these offseason acquisitions is Lawson, who has become a shell of himself, with the former Nugget not fitting well in the Rockets' playbooks.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Rockets are trying to shop Lawson and has been claimed to be the first among the team's players to be moved.
Lawson is owed $12.4 million this season and the final year of his contract is a fully non-guaranteed $13.21 million.
It seems hard to find any taker for Lawson, considering his struggles this season. But Lawson remains a proven player at the point guard position in the right team. That team could be the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers do not look like they could instantly rack up wins and make the playoffs, so rebuilding is obviously their taken path. Lawson could be part of the franchise future plans and lead the 76ers' young core of talents.
Moreover, Philadelphia does not have a solid player at the point guard position. Lawson could take the leading PG role for the 76ers and give flow to the team's offense.
An exchange for Nerlens Noel is possible according to the ESPN Trade Machine.
According to Bleacher Report's Tim Penman, the Rockets are 28th in the league in opponent points per game. This means Houston's defense is not operating well.
Bringing in Noel would give the team an excellent pick-and-roll defender due to his length and quickness. A Noel and Dwight Howard would also create an instant defensive wall in the paint, making it hard for teams to penetrate down the line.
The 76ers still have more than $11 million in cap-room, which could absorb Lawson's $12.4 million contract.
On the other hand, the Rockets would save a couple of bucks from the trade scenario, giving them more freedom to maneuver in next year's free agency.
Lawson is probably not the only piece the Rockets will try dealt before the trade deadline. With a stacked Western Conference, the Rockets could not afford to wait for their players to finally gel, while other teams pile up wins.
