Ty Lawson Net Worth

What Is Ty Lawson's Net Worth and Salary?

Ty Lawson is a retired American professional basketball player who has a net worth of $1 million.

Ty Lawson played eight NBA regular seasons, primarily with the Denver Nuggets, and earned approximately $43.6 million in NBA salary. He later continued his career in China, Greece, Tunisia, and Venezuela.

A 5-foot-11 point guard known for his exceptional speed, Lawson helped the University of North Carolina win the 2009 NCAA championship. He was also named ACC Player of the Year and received the Bob Cousy Award as the best point guard in college basketball.

The Minnesota Timberwolves selected Lawson with the 18th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and immediately traded his rights to Denver. He spent six seasons with the Nuggets, developing into one of the league's most productive point guards. At his peak, Lawson averaged 17.6 points and 8.8 assists per game.

Lawson's career declined rapidly after he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2015. He subsequently played for the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards before moving overseas. Across 551 NBA regular-season games, Lawson averaged 12.7 points, 6.0 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Early Life

Tywon Ronnell Lawson was born on November 3, 1987, in Clinton, Maryland. He attended Bishop McNamara High School before transferring to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

As a senior at Oak Hill, Lawson averaged 23.8 points, 9.1 assists, and five steals per game while leading the team to a 42-1 record. He was named a McDonald's, "Parade," and "USA Today" All-American and participated in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.

University of North Carolina

Lawson enrolled at the University of North Carolina in 2006 and immediately became the Tar Heels' starting point guard. As a freshman, he averaged 10.2 points and 5.6 assists while earning a place on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

After his sophomore season, Lawson declared for the 2008 NBA Draft but did not hire an agent. He eventually withdrew his name and returned to North Carolina alongside Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and Tyler Hansbrough.

The decision resulted in a championship. During the 2008-09 season, Lawson averaged nearly 17 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 47% from three-point range. He was named ACC Player of the Year, becoming the first point guard to win the award since Phil Ford in 1978. Lawson also received the Bob Cousy Award and was named a consensus second-team All-American.

North Carolina defeated Michigan State to win the 2009 national championship. Lawson scored 21 points and set a championship-game record with eight steals. He entered the NBA Draft after his junior season.

Denver Nuggets

The Timberwolves selected Lawson with the 18th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft before trading him to Denver for a future first-round selection.

Lawson initially backed up Chauncey Billups. After Billups was included in the 2011 trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks, Lawson took over as Denver's starting point guard.

In April 2011, Lawson made his first 10 three-point attempts against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He finished the game with a career-high 37 points after shooting 10-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Lawson helped lead the Nuggets to a franchise-record 57 victories during the 2012-13 season. Denver entered the playoffs as the Western Conference's third seed, although the team was upset by the Golden State Warriors in the first round. Lawson averaged 21.3 points and eight assists during the series.

He produced his best scoring season in 2013-14, averaging 17.6 points and 8.8 assists. The following season, he averaged 15.2 points and a career-high 9.6 assists per game.

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Houston, Indiana, Sacramento, and Washington

Denver traded Lawson to the Houston Rockets in July 2015. He struggled to play alongside James Harden and was moved to the bench after beginning the season as a starter.

Houston reached a buyout with Lawson and waived him in March 2016. He finished the season with the Indiana Pacers before signing with the Sacramento Kings.

Lawson averaged 9.9 points and 4.8 assists for Sacramento during the 2016-17 season. In his final NBA regular-season appearance, he recorded the first triple-double of his career with 22 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds.

He briefly returned to the NBA with the Washington Wizards during the 2018 playoffs, averaging 5.8 points and three assists in a first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.

International Career

Lawson signed with the Shandong Golden Stars of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2017. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds during his first season in China.

After his brief return to the NBA, he rejoined Shandong and later played for the Fujian Sturgeons. Fujian removed Lawson from the team in 2020 following social media posts that the organization described as inappropriate and harmful to the club.

Lawson subsequently played for Kolossos Rodou in Greece and US Monastir in Tunisia. He joined Gaiteros del Zulia in Venezuela in 2023 but was dismissed after the team accused him of violating its rules and standards of conduct.

Contracts, Salaries & Career Earnings

In total, Lawson earned approximately $43.6 million in NBA salary. His first contract with Shandong was worth an additional $2.4 million and could reportedly have reached $3 million with bonuses. His other overseas salaries were not publicly disclosed.

Lawson signed a four-year rookie contract with the Denver Nuggets worth approximately $7.1 million.

In October 2012, Denver signed him to a four-year, $48 million extension. However, Lawson did not ultimately collect the full amount. As a condition of his 2015 trade to Houston, he agreed to make the final season of the contract, which was worth approximately $13.2 million, non-guaranteed.

The Rockets waived him before that season began. Lawson subsequently played on lower-value contracts with Indiana, Sacramento, and Washington.

Legal Issues

Lawson's career was affected by several alcohol-related legal incidents. He was arrested in Denver on suspicion of driving under the influence in January 2015 and was arrested again on suspicion of DUI in Los Angeles that July. The NBA later suspended him for a combined five games in connection with the two cases.

In 2017, a Denver judge issued a bench warrant after Lawson tested positive for alcohol several times while on probation and failed to complete required community service. The warrant was later withdrawn after he appeared in court.

In July 2026, Lawson was arrested in Castle Rock, Colorado, after a liquor store employee accused him of taking a $34 bottle of vodka without paying. According to the probable cause affidavit, Lawson smelled of alcohol and became verbally disruptive during the booking process, kicking the glass wall of his cell and spitting on the floor. The affidavit stated that he eventually calmed down and apologized. Lawson was booked on a misdemeanor theft charge involving property valued at less than $300 and was released. The allegations had not been resolved in court.

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