Posted By Manny Vieites – Cowbell Kingdom
It was midway through August, the point guard dilemma was in full swing, and the Sacramento Kings window for opportunity was closing rapidly. The NBA had yet to enforce its sanctions on Darren Collison and with no timetable available, it had the franchise at a stand still.
Knowing that acquiring a point guard was a necessity due to the Collison issue combined with the ever ending recycling of past Kings point guards (Rajon Rondo, Isaiah Thomas, Tyreke Evans), Sacramento had to make a move fast.
The wait forced the Kings to feed from a pool of what were considered tier two or tier three point guards which consisted of past 2x NBA champion in Norris Cole, Nate Robinson, Kirk Hinrich and Ty Lawson.
Knowing that Collison would be out for an extended period of time, Sacramento went with the player who once produced at a high level as a starter in Lawson.
Signing Lawson raised some red flags around the Kings community and provoked the “here we go again mentality.” From the outside looking in, one would ask the question, why would Sacramento sign a point guard with a legal history after the franchise’s starting point guard is in an ongoing investigation?
The need for Lawson’s immediate production surpassed the ideology of his past actions because of the timeliness of the signing correlating directly to the case involving Collison.
On Aug. 31, 2016, the Kings signed Lawson to a one-year $1,315,448 contract, one month before players reported to training camp.
Leading into the season, Lawson knew he would have to reinvent his career in Sacramento to prove to himself and the rest of the NBA that his two DUI’s would not overshadow the success he has had.
If Lawson wanted an opportunity in signing more than a one-year deal in the NBA after this season, the Kings gave him the platform.
The preseason was a questioning one of sorts surrounding Lawson after missing a team flight to Kentucky following the Lakers preseason game in Las Vegas. General Manager Vlade Divac and head coach Dave Joerger quickly assured the public that this was a personal matter and it would be handled accordingly.
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