In a move that caught absolutely no one by surprised, Nick Young, more affectionately known as Swaggy P, has reportedly opted out of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.
THIS JUST IN: Lakers G/F Nick Young opts out of contract with Lakers and will become free agent. pic.twitter.com/EYYP6DrjGS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2014
Brought in on a large discount, Swaggy P greatly outplayed his contract, proving one of the Lakers most valuable players and one of the team’s leaders last season. The California native scored a career high 17.9 points while dishing out another career high 1.5 assists while finishing with his best seasons in terms of PER, true shooting percentage, and effective field goal percentage.
Furthermore, he provided the Lakers leadership in the absence of Kobe Bryant. Stepping out of his comfort zone, Swaggy proved to teams that he could take a bigger role on a squad, which will undoubtedly earn him a big pay day.
Nearing the back end of his career, Young is looking for a multi-year deal as opposed to the 1-year deals he’s had the last two seasons. Despite opting out, Swaggy has remained very open to a return to the purple and gold, his favorite childhood team. The former USC product has also stated he’s willing to give the Lakers a hometown discount of sorts, but won’t budge on the multi-year aspect.
The Lakers now find themselves in a conundrum. While Young is a fan favorite, his contract won’t be cheap. Do you think the Lakers should bring back Swaggy P?