The Houston Rockets joined the league's wheelers and dealers on Sunday with a move that could alter the odds entering the 2015-16 title race. They agreed to acquire embattled point guard Ty Lawson from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a package that includes Kostas Papanikolaou's non-guaranteed contract, Pablo Prigioni's partially guaranteed deal, Joey Dorsey, Nick Johnson and a protected 2016 first-round draft pick.
Put another way, the Rockets landed a starting-caliber, All-Star 27-year-old point guard without giving up anyone of particularly great consequence. These are the deals for which general manager Daryl Morey lives: big names obtained by any (often creative) means necessary.