Apr 2, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Nick Young (0) celebrates after a three point basket and foul against the Sacramento Kings during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
What was long suspected and a given among Lakers fans appears to have become official: Nick Young will turn down his $1.2 million option at the end of the season and will test free agency. All of this news comes from a recent interview with NBA.com, where Swaggy P revealed some of his plans for this summer. When asked if he was a $1.2 million player, Swaggy offered up this response:
"“Oh, no,” Young said. “Not at all. Most definitely. I deserve much more than that.”And Swaggy P wants to have a lot of teams chasing him.“Yeah,” Young/P said. “He most definitely does. And I believe a lot will. That’s a solid answer right there.”"
Young has excelled in his role as the 6th man with the Lakers this year. Currently, he sits second in scoring with 17.3 points per night, 0.1 behind Pau Gasol. That average stands as the highest since 2010-11. Better yet, he’s been seen as a mentor of sorts to young players and, at times, has been a leader for the Lakers. If nothing else, he’s provided a certain amount of pride and swagger each night, giving him his suitable nickname.
Young isn’t the first to reveal his hopes for the future recently, with both Jodie Meeks and Xavier Henry expressing their desire to stay in Los Angeles this summer. To Young’s credit, he never said he wanted to leave LA, saying quite the contrary, in fact.
"“Most definitely I want to stay home,” Young said. “With the changes I see, they’re going to do some big things this summer. Of course I want to be a part of a championship program and get a chance to compete next year. But we’re just going to see what happens. I’ve got to sit down with my agent and see what happens this summer.”"
One thing is for certain: Lakers Nation wants Swaggy back!