On Sunday, the Denver Nuggets officially dealt away Ty Lawson, an inevitability in the NBA stratosphere for quite some time. Many people around the league believe that Lawson, who is being sent to the Houston Rockets, will make his new team even better than last year’s squad that made the Western Conference Finals. However, this move, which is eerily similar to the trade that sent Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks last season, is not a surefire deal by any means.

The most glaring similarity between the Lawson and Rondo trades are how little the acquiring teams were forced to give up to receive both of these highly talented players. Because Lawson and Rondo carry an inescapable amount of baggage, their former teams were content sending them away in hopes of experiencing a boost solely due to their respective exits. Around the league, Rondo was known to be a head coach killer before being dealt to the Mavericks. On the other hand, Lawson has a severe drinking problem.

Furthermore, Lawson, like Rondo in Dallas, is a questionable fit in the backcourt of his new team. Lawson thrives when the ball is in his hands and struggles in spot-up shooting situations. This could lead to a disaster next to James Harden, who has dominated offensively mostly as the team’s primary ball handler and playmaker since arriving in Houston.

Similarly, it quickly became apparent that Rondo and his backcourt mate Monta Ellis were unable to coexist. Ellis, another shooting guard whose strength lies with the ball in his hands, was unable to adjust to a more off-of-the-ball role with Rondo on board. This complicated matters for the Mavericks, a team that had boasted one of the best offensive efficiencies in the league before attaining the former Boston Celtics‘ star. Unfortunately for Dallas, trading for Rondo backfired immensely, and a quick first-round exit ensued. During his short-lived tenure, Rondo lived up to his label of being a team cancer. Many experts felt that the Mavericks’ winning ways would be able to overcome those problems, but that was certainly not the case.

Now, the Rockets have followed in the Dallas’ footsteps, trading away a package of next to nothing for a big-name player who can step in and start immediately. Lawson has the ability to contribute strong numbers if given the opportunity, as evidenced by his statistical achievements last season with the Nuggets. Last year in Denver, Lawson tallied 15.2 points and 9.6 assists per game last, a mark that very few of his NBA counterparts can boast.

Still, with so many major similarities to the Mavericks’ situation with Rondo, Houston’s move comes with more risk than most NBA followers would presume. Of course, Lawson may be able to overcome his drinking problem and head coach Kevin McHale may be able to find a way to satisfy both Harden and Lawson’s offensive needs. However, until those question marks are answered, the possibility remains of Lawson damaging a team with lofty expectations.

Nicholas Sciria is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.