Indiana Pacers sign troubled guard Ty Lawson

Eleven games into the season, Lawson was benched and the Rockets bought out his contract last week.(Pat Sullivan/AP)

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers signed troubled point guard Ty Lawson on Monday.

Lawson was arrested twice last year on drunken-driving charges, once in Denver and once in Los Angeles, and was traded from Denver to Houston last summer.

Eleven games into the season, Lawson was benched and the Rockets bought out his contract last week.

Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird has always liked Lawson, so he took a chance on the 5-foot-11 guard, who has averaged 13.3 points and 5.8 assists over his career. He is expected to back up George Hill and Monta Ellis as Indiana (33-30) makes a playoff push.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available. Indiana cleared room for Lawson by waiving Chase Budinger on Saturday.

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