For better or worse, the Lakers shouldn’t try to trade Nick Young this offseason
“We back in the building. Y’all thought we was gone.”
For those who don’t remember that quote, those words were uttered by Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young after a win over the Boston Celtics last season. He, Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer interrupted Jeremy Lin’s post-game interview with Lakers reporter Mike Trudell.
However, there are plenty of fans now wishing that Young was out of the building and was actually gone given his lack of production on the court and the problems he was a part of off the floor.
This past season, Young struggled. He only averaged 7.3 points per game and shot a paltry 33.9 percent from the field (Basketball Reference). Both of those numbers were the lowest of his career.
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But before Lakers fans start chanting “Trade Nick Young!” they should consider a few things.
For starters, he has little trade value at all. Because last season was literally the worst of Young’s career, the Lakers don’t have much opportunity to trade him. The best they’d get if they dealt Young would be a second-round pick, if that.
Team’s aren’t exactly chomping at the bit to acquire a streaky shooter who isn’t known for his defense. LA could just keep him and see if he has a bounce-back year under new head coach Luke Walton. It wasn’t that long ago that he averaged over 17 points per game.
Moreover, the Lakers are going to need scoring. With Kobe Bryant retired, the Lakers will need to find points. Young provides that. He’s one of the best one-on-one players LA has, and when he gets hot, he gets hot (insert flame emoji). While he won’t be the new Black Mamba by any stretch of the imagination, Young can give the Lakers much-needed scoring boosts when they need it.
Let’s be real: Young is also hilarious. From his truly awful hairdos to his even worse self-nicknaming (Swaggy P is both good and bad and always nonsensical), Young is always good for a hearty laugh and a Shaqtin-a-Fool appearance. How can Laker-land live without moments like this:
One of the most important factors is his favorable contract. Young will only make $5.44 million next season, so he’s not eating up the Lakers’ cap space. The year after that, he has a player option on his contract. So if he really wants to leave, he can. The Lakers can keep Young at a low risk and Walton can focus on redefining his role and getting something more out of him. And if it still doesn’t work out, it’s only been one year and they didn’t break the bank.
It’s also no secret that Byron Scott didn’t really like Young’s antics or defense. But Scott was also an old-school coach who didn’t believe in shooting 3-pointers. Young wants to run, shoot and have fun, which is exactly the brand of basketball Walton hopes to bring to the Lakers. Young should thrive under Walton’s style of play, and will likely have a much better year.
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So while there have been problems and while he may not have a long-term purpose with the Lakers, perhaps holding on to Young is the best thing for the team right now.