The Los Angeles Lakers were among the teams interested in trading for veteran point guard Ty Lawson. The Houston Rockets ultimately were able to acquire Lawson on Sunday, but the Lakers definitely made a hard push to get a deal done.
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According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Lakers simply didn’t provide a better trade package then the Rockets were offering:
ESPN sources say that the Lakers were also a determined trade bidder for Ty Lawson, but Denver clearly preferred what the Rockets offered
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 20, 2015
The Denver Nuggets had been looking to part ways with Lawson for quite some time. Many believed Lawson would ultimately land with the Sacramento Kings, but then the team signed free agent Rajon Rondo.
As for the Lakers, the team has been exploring trade options including Nick Young, Robert Sacre and Ryan Kelly. Despite gauging trade interest, no deals came to fruition, but it would be safe to assume those three names came up in trade talks with the Nuggets.
The Lakers may have also been reluctant to give up Jordan Clarkson in a proposed trade for Lawson. Although Lawson would’ve been a considerable backcourt upgrade, the Lakers brass not wanting to sacrifice the future to bring in a troubled veteran is a good sign moving forward.
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