Ty Lawson Trade Rumors: Milwaukee Bucks in the Mix?

Jan 25, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson (3) during the game against the Washington Wizards at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Ty Lawson trade rumors are starting to come in fast and furious as the trade deadline approaches, and it looks like the Milwaukee Bucks are the latest team rumored to be showing interest.

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On the heels of news that the Boston Celtics may have contacted the Nuggets about Lawson’s availability, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders is now reporting that the upstart Bucks may be looking to throw their hats in the Lawson sweepstakes. From Kyler’s report:

"“The Milwaukee Bucks have said repeatedly that they would not give away the future for a playoff run, but given that they are locked into a good situation in the East, they do appear to be willing to deal in order to solidify what they have now and going forward.The Bucks are one of the teams being linked to Denver’s Ty Lawson. They have also been linked to Chicago’s Taj Gibson, although it may take a lot more to land either of them than Milwaukee has to part with.The two names that get mentioned the most as trade chips for the Bucks are swing man O.J. Mayo and forward Ersan Ilyasova. Both players are valued by the Bucks, so neither is being given away, but both could be the chips that bring real change.”"

The Bucks currently have a pretty solid point guard in Brandon Knight, so it’s a little surprising to hear them mentioned as a team with interest in acquiring Lawson. Now in his third NBA season, Knight is currently averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game (compared to Lawson’s 16.9 points, 10.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game). The team may be looking at Lawson as a potential replacement for Knight, as Knight is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. That said, if Knight was included in the package the Nuggets would receive in exchange for Lawson, that would be a pretty good acquisition for Denver, assuming they could get Knight to agree to sign with the team after the season. Knight is a solid young point guard who has shown he can score and operate as a capable floor general. He doesn’t have the same court vision as Lawson, but he likely would fit well with head coach Brian Shaw’s half court, inside-outside system.

Based on Kyler’s report, it’s hard to tell just how serious the interest from the Bucks is, but this is probably the most intriguing scenario involving Lawson we’ve heard to date, so it will be fascinating to see how it unfolds. I’m not sure any team is going to be willing to pony up what the Nuggets will likely expect for Lawson in return, but it seems the team is determined to explore every available option ahead of the trade deadline. That’s something Nuggets fans should be excited about, even if it means parting way with one of the best players on the current roster.

Next: Could Ty Lawson be Boston-Bound

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