Before Nick Young can get a contract, the Lakers need to execute any plans they have. The top priorities of the moment are the draft and a new coaching staff.
Lakers like Nick Young, but are hesitant to offer any role player a multi-year deal so they can maximize cap space
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 19, 2014
"“Just more years. I believe I deserve more,” Young said Wednesday in an interview with this newspaper. “That’s up to my agent to do that for me. The Lakers are home, but things could happen. With free agency this year, it’s going to be crazy to see.” InsideSocal.com"
The Lakers have one week before the draft. After they choose their player, they’ll have a better idea of what path to take with the roster. Having the #7 pick is a fortunate outcome for the Lakers. They will get a talented player. However, the talent cupboard for the Lakers is empty. There is no coach yet, though our own Jacob Rude wrote about Byron Scott being a leading candidate.
Taking a pay cut in order to stay at an NBA destination or win games seems like a common theme. The San Antonio Spurs gave pay cuts to Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan. They have a decade of success together. The Miami Heat may go the same route with their big-3, in order to land another premiere free agent. The Lakers will have the cap room, assuming they renounce Pau Gasol’s rights.
Nick Young was the leading scorer for the Lakers during the 2014 season. He came off the bench and still managed to be a #1 option on offense, scoring more than Pau Gasol. The city of Los Angeles still means something to players, and it looks like Nick Young is willing to make a sacrifice to stay a Laker.
I don’t recall Nick feeling the same desire to stay a Clipper.