Ty Lawson‘s future with the Kings may be in jeopardy after missing a flight to Saturday’s game in Kentucky, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. It’s the latest off-court incident for the point guard, who also reportedly showed up late for a shootaround in Las Vegas this week.
Team officials will meet with Lawson to hear his explanation, but it appears they are growing tired of the incidents already. Stein hears that there was considerable disagreement within the organization about signing Lawson, so the team may not be willing to overlook these latest transgressions.
Lawson has a long history of behavioral problems, including four DUIs that resulted in two suspensions last season. The Kings officially said he missed Saturday’s game for “personal reasons.”
Sacramento signed Lawson to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal in late August. He was seen as a veteran backup for Darren Collison and an emergency fill-in while Collison served his suspension in a domestic assault case, which turned out to be eight games. Last month, the Kings signed veteran point guard Jordan Farmar, who would presumably take over Lawson’s role if he is released.
Lawson was traded from the Nuggets to the Rockets last summer, but was waived in midseason because of poor production. He signed with the Pacers through the end of the season, but got few offers in free agency.
The Kings had been supportive of Lawson before this week’s incidents, Stein notes, with coach Dave Joerger saying, “He has good leadership qualities. You can tell why he’s been a winner.”