Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson was arrested early Tuesday morning on suspicion of DUI, the latest in a long string of run-ins with the law.
Initially reported by TMZ, Lawson was arrested around 2:30 a.m. after being pulled over for speeding on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. After being pulled over, Lawson was found to show signs of intoxication, and failed a field sobriety test, at which point he was arrested. He is reportedly still in jail, and his bail is set at $5,000.
This is the second time this calendar year that Lawson has been arrested in connection with driving under the influence. In January, Lawson was also arrested on suspicion of (later being charged with DUI, speeding and careless driving) after initially being pulled over for speeding, and once again failing a field sobriety test.
It’s an interesting and potentially career-altering turn of events for Lawson, whom in a matter of days has gone from being the starting point guard for the Denver Nuggets to potentially being on the way out of the Mile High City. The potential of new draft pick Emmanuel Mudiay, as well as the recent signing of Jameer Nelson to a three-year, $13.5 million, have all signs pointing to Lawson wearing a new jersey next season.
As the Nuggets look to where they could send Lawson, who averaged 15.2 points and a career-high 9.6 assists last season, it will be curious to see whether this effects what teams will take him. While he figures to be in the prime of his career at the age of 27, his repeated trouble with the law (he has been arrested three separate times for DUI, and was also arrested in a domestic violence dispute in 2013 with his then-girlfriend Ashley Pettiford) is a definite cause for concern.
As far as teams that Lawson could go to, rumors have surfaced about the Brooklyn Nets, the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets as possible landing spots, but the wealth of point guards in the NBA, coupled with the $12 million that a team would have to pay Lawson next season, make those rumors at best. These facts, in combination with Lawson’s recent behavior, suggest that trading him away could be a much more difficult job for the Nuggets than before.
