Ty Lawson Reportedly Signs Wizards Contract Ahead of NBA Playoffs

The Washington Wizards have reportedly agreed to terms on a contract with veteran point guard Ty Lawson for the remainder of the season, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.

Lawson was playing for the Shandong Golden Stars in China and received a letter of clearance to sign with the Wizards, per Charania's report.

Aside from Derrick Rose, arguably no point guard in the NBA has seen his stock fall faster over the last few years than Lawson. Within three seasons, he went from averaging nearly a double-double (15.2 points, 9.6 assists) for the Denver Nuggets in 2014-15 to signing a one-year contract worth $1.3 million with the Sacramento Kings in August 2016.

Then, despite averaging 9.9 points and 4.8 assists off the bench for the Kings, Lawson was unable to get an NBA contract and instead agreed to a deal with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association.

In 46 games for the Golden Stars, Lawson averaged 25.5 points and 6.5 assists and shot 40.1 percent from three-point range.

While Lawson's CBA numbers look good, FanRag Sports' Andy Bailey highlighted how they may not be the strongest indicator as to whether the 30-year-old can still be a productive NBA guard:

"

Ty Lawson in China this season: 25.8 PTS, 6.6 AST, 4.3 REB, 2.4 STL, 2 3P, .688 TS%, 26.1 PER

Jimmer Fredette in China this season: 37.5 PTS, 5.4 AST, 6.7 REB, 2, STL, 5.3 3P, .602 TS%, 25.6 PER https://t.co/3KKZUoy5pw

— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) February 12, 2018"

There's also the question as to whether Lawson can avoid any off-court problems after they played a large role in his overall decline.

Lawson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in July 2015, which was his fourth such arrest. He subsequently checked in to a treatment facility later that month.

A California judge issued a bench warrant for Lawson to appear in court in March 2017 after he failed three alcohol tests that were a part of his probation stemming from the 2015 arrest. Lawson appeared in court and denied he had violated the terms of his probation.

After the Nuggets traded Lawson to the Houston Rockets in July 2015, team president Josh Kroenke told Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears the Nuggets had tried to help Lawson with his alcohol issues but that he could "never fully shake them." 

Kroenke added that it had been apparent multiple times that Lawson had been drinking before arriving at team practices:

"There were times when he was better than others. But the problems have been there for several years, going back to when we were having a lot of on-court success. I don't want to go back too far. There were just a lot of times where you were at practice and you just know. You could smell it. You know there is probably deeper issues than he would probably let on."

When Lawson went to court in 2017, Sports Illustrated's Michael McCann wondered whether his NBA career was in jeopardy. Although Lawson finished that season in Sacramento, his inability to find a new home the following summer lent credence to McCann's question.

This move could represent Lawson's last chance to revive his career. If he can't make it work in Washington, then it's hard to see how a team would be willing to offer him another opportunity.

Because he has so much at stake, Lawson will be motivated to make the most of his stint with the Wizards in the postseason. Based on that, signing Lawson is worth it for Washington, with limited options in the free-agent market.

Lawson will fill in behind John Wall and Tim Frazier on the Wizards' depth chart. Tomas Satoransky played the position as well while Wall was out with a knee injury, but he's much more suited to 2-guard.