Ty Lawson signs with the Wizards: Former King heading to the playoffs

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 1: Ty Lawson
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 1: Ty Lawson

Ty Lawson, the former Sacramento King, signed with the Washington Wizards on the eve of the NBA playoffs.  Read more about this surprising signing.

Ty Lawson played for the Sacramento Kings last season.  Given the circumstances of his signing, it was a fantastic season.  You can read my report card for Lawson’s season here.  The strange thing was he did not receive any NBA offers after the season (or at least any worth taking).

With limited options, the 29-year-old chose to apply his trade in China this season.  Things went well as Lawson averaged 25.2 points per game, 6.5 assists, and 2.2 steals on 54.8 percent shooting from the field and 83.5 percent from the foul line.  It also opened up a surprising opportunity for the former King.  Below is a Tweet from Shams Charania regarding Lawson immediate basketball future.

Playoffs

The Wizards qualified for the playoff, and it is reportedly only a deal for the rest of this season.  That means Lawson will be on their postseason roster.  The Wizards are the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference and face the Toronto Raptors in the first round.  No word on Lawson’s role or expected playing time as of this writing, but I would not be surprised to see him play as the backup point guard behind John Wall.  Kings fans know Lawson still displayed quickness and playmaking ability last season in Sacramento.

The timing is one hundred percent strange, though.  To wait to sign a player until after the regular season is over and just two days before your opening playoff game seems odd.  Check out their game on Saturday to see if Lawson gets any minutes off the bench.

Final thoughts

Former Kings point guard Ty Lawson is back in the NBA and headed to the playoffs with the Washington Wizards after Thursday’s signing.  I was surprised to see this story when it broke, but it is a fantastic opportunity for the former King.  Hopefully, he makes the most of his chance.

Next: 10 greatest individual seasons in Kings history

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