Just a few hours before the trade deadline, Nick Young’ s future is more uncertain than ever.
Young’s season has been a surprise for everyone inside and outside the Lakers organization. At 31 years old he is shooting a career-high 41.3 percent from 3, per Basketball-Reference.com, and participated in his first Three-Point Contest. Unfortunately, he fell short in the first round, just a money ball away from tying second round qualifier Kemba Walker.
Swaggy P has been one of the most positive notes for the past half season.
Everyone expected him to be traded or released in the summer after the unsuccessful run with coach Byron Scott, but the arrival of Walton has revitalized not only the young players but also the veteran. Thanks to the emphasis on 3-point shooting, Swaggy 3 has been unleashed, thriving on the field as in his D’Antonian days and getting even praised by the coach for his defensive commitment.
This earned him the shooting guard starting spot as he revealed one of the most consistent players in Lakers uniform. Definitely one of the veterans that I would gladly see remaining as he has proven vital in Walton’s Warriors-inspired offense, acting as a Klay Thompson lessened version.
Unfortunately, his contractual situation is not helpful and his future remains uncertain.
Young is playing on a four-year, $21.5 million contract, which means slightly more than 5 million per year, with a player option on the fourth one. A very cheap contract compared with the production he is having.
He happens to be in the third year and, following the league trend, opting out to capitalize on the great season and look for some of the big money his colleagues enjoyed last summer is a very real possibility for Nick.
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Word is that, despite the great season, he has not gained much interest from other teams, probably because many consider this year just a random occurrence in a fluctuating career.
Opting out could be a risky move for Swaggy, who could find himself in a J.R. Smith situation.
We know very well how much the Los Angeles native loves playing for his hometown team and how comfortable he is in Walton’s offense, then do not be so socked if he elected to remain in purple and gold uniform for the final year of his contract.
However, the recent hiring of Magic Johnson as President of Basketball Operations is probably going to bring a complete change of scenery for Young and the entire Lakers organization. The Lou Williams trade reveals his resolution to give as much space as possible to the young players, getting rid of veterans and capitalizing on it by getting picks in the upcoming (notable deep) 2017 Draft.
According to Arash Markazi of ESPN.com, the Lakers are trying to get ‘anything’ for Nick Young.
‘Anything’ does not sound like a good return for a player who is being a big part of LA’s season, is playing on a cheap contract, and in the worst-case scenario will opt out at the end of the year freeing the cap space the Lakers are probably coveting. Only a 2017 draft pick or a promising young player would be a fair reward.
Swaggy can still be a valuable contributor for the Purple and Gold, and giving him away at a discounted price would be a shame. But at the end of the day, we know that this is a business and anything can happen, especially when the trade deadline is around the corner.
Next: Nick Young on the trading block
What do you think? Is Nick Young going to be traded? Should the Lakers accept ‘anything’ back? Or should he remain as the sharpshooting veteran for the young team? Let us know in the comments below.