Crazy to think they would just go and waive him considering he was still a pretty darn good player this year.
That would mean they must not believe they can get any teams to trade for him and they'd rather just eat the money and pay him to stay away. Nuts.
On another level, I'm glad to see that teams in all major sports are reaching a point where they don't want to touch players with domestic violence or DUI issues, at least not until those issues are resolved in some significant way.
In some instances this is true, but if a player is talented enough he can get away with most things. The two examples that come to mind are Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy. Both men were abusive, violent, and their actions were inexcusable. Both men are top 5 players at their respective positions in the NFL. Both men are currently employed by NFL teams and have pretty lucrative deals (Hardy's isn't on the surface, but his in-game roster bonuses add up to a TON). Some would cite Ray Rice as a counterexample; Rice hasn't been signed by an NFL team since his domestic violence incident. However, Rice is lacking in one department where Hardy and Peterson excel: he isn't very good anymore. There is, of course, a point where talent cannot outweigh despicable actions, but this point seems to be too far (Aaron Hernandez). I don't think Lawson has reached the point where everyone is going to give up on his immense talent, regardless of what he deserves. Honestly, the guy has a problem and needs help, but we, as fans, should not stand for selfish recklessness being rewarded with millions of dollars. Sorry for all the NFL talk on a Celtics board, but the NFL seems to have the greatest off-field issues paired with the greatest inequities in the severity of punishments, ultimately speaking to the overall climate in professional sports. I sincerely hope Lawson gets the help he so obviously needs and can eventually return to the NBA as a rehabilitated man.
