Los Angeles Lakers: Should the team keep Nick Young?

Shooting guard Nick Young has a $5.6 million option headed into the 2017-2018 campaign. Would the Los Angeles Lakers be wise to keep Young or, conversely, move on?

Before the 2016-2017 season commenced, it seemed like there was no possible way Nick Young would be wearing a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. Despite the energy his presence brings, it simply did not appear to be the logical route to travel down.

In 2015-2016 the shooting guard struggled mightily. Provided that his primary gift is putting the rock through the net, career lows of 7.3 points per game on a .339 shooting percentage did not make for an excellent, powerful sales pitch.

Additionally, there was the off the court drama as well. That drama eventually led to him and Iggy Azalea splitting apart.

Of course, that sticky situation started due to D’Angelo Russell making probably about as bad of a rookie mistake as one could hope to make. The tension between him and Young in the locker room did not appear to be fixable at first.

It was a bona fide shattering of the bro code, to say the least. On the grounds that basketball is a team sport, too, it made things all the more tangled.

Fans and all followers of basketball were curious as to whether the two could coexist. For that reason, and on account of Swaggy P’s poor production as it was, Nick was the more expendable piece.

Things overtime had a way of improving when it came to their bond as teammates. Time is known to have that healing, therapeutic quality.

Nevertheless, the game is a business at the end of the day. Young’s inconsistent play in 2015-2016 made the fan favorite more of a liability than an asset.

At the end of the day, though, rumors are just that. The term speaks for itself. The Lakers gave the goofier character another shot to grace the hardwood.

The 32-year-old veteran ended up proving doubters wrong this past season. He averaged 13.2 ppg and shot a very respectable 40.4 percent from the land of good and plenty.

His efficiency from behind the arc was enough to warrant him a spot in the 3-point competition on All-Star weekend. Granted he did not come close to winning, he managed to outperform the likes of big time names like Klay Thompson.

Moreover, there were actually points last year when the former USC Trojan exerted effort on defense. While that may appear like a typo to some souls, it is true.

There were various stages last year when first-year head coach Luke Walton told Nick that his defense would keep him on the floor. On many occasions, Swaggy P followed through.

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The 6’7″ ballplayer has always been akin to a microwave on the offensive end. Due to the Lakers’ consistent struggles on the opposite end, though, Walton looked to the veteran to step up.

Defense is not an area Nick Young is gifted in by any stretch of the imagination. However, his comeback season could increase the probability that he stays in Hollywood.

According to James Herbert of CBS Sports, Young’s preference is to remain in the City of Angels. It is his hometown, after all, so there is a level of comfort already etched in stone.

The sharpshooter has donned the purple-and-gold for four consecutive seasons now. If he exercises his player option, he will likely be penciled in as the team’s sixth man headed into the autumn. Let alone Young’s loyalty and bounce back campaign, other elements need to be scrutinized.

Guys like Jordan Clarkson could be used as trade bait if the Lakers ultimately pick up an elite guard through the draft. It could accordingly increase the organization’s desire to keep Young aboard the ship.

As good as the number two pick could be, he is unproven at the NBA level. On the other hand, everyone knows what to expect from Young by now.

Since Lou Williams was traded to Houston this past February as well, it could be just enough incentive to persuade the team to keep the 10-year veteran. The Lakers’ bench is simply not as deep as it used to be.

Uncle P is also the kind of guy that sells tickets. He is not a franchise player like the Black Mamba was, but his infectious smile and spirit injects an extra tier of energy into the crowd.

Andre Vergara of Fox Sports touches on this in an article about Young and Metta World Peace. On one occasion, in fact, Vergara reveals just how “entertaining” the former can be every now and again.

Because Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng could be shipped this summer along with Clarkson, the Lakers would further lack experience. Young clearly possesses that attribute. In spite of the veracity of those statements, Young’s reputation is still not that spectacular.

It is also rather difficult to gauge whether he can replicate the success he had in 2016-2017. It begs the question as to whether one rock solid season makes him worthy of being in L.A. again.

Even supposing the subtle tweaks on defense, Swaggy P is primarily a one-dimensional player. The squad may subsequently decide to rely on a guy like David Nwaba to take Nick’s spot. Nwaba showed in his rookie year the potential he has in that neck of the woods.

Sometimes the former LA Clipper has been too entertaining at times. Stemming from the fact that the Lakers are fairly young, a harder-nosed guy may be more so what the team needs.

Since Young has the choice to be a free agent, too, the stylish athlete may command a few extra nickels to be satisfied. His better numbers may cause him to chase after a more lucrative deal.

Nick is obviously getting no younger, so this could be his last legitimate chance to have a multiple year extension. It is implausible that the Lakers would consider that at this interval.

In an article by Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, Young hints that he may consider his options. As much as he loves Southern California, he may move elsewhere to better raise his odds to play postseason ball.

"I’ll be more of a vet here. But at my age, I don’t know if I kind of want to sit around and wait for another team to progress and grow. [I] kind of want to be on a playoff team and see what happens."

With that being said, it is challenging to predict if the team should keep Nick. It is not entirely up to them, but whether the fan favorite ultimately wears a Lakers jersey this fall will be a pressing topic this summer.

It essentially seems like a coin flip sort of choice from a management standpoint at least. Young may even decide to give L.A. one last chance, but the team may choose to better develop the youth on the roster.

Next: Who do the Lakers land in our complete first round mock draft?

That in itself evokes that the team has some tough decisions to make in the upcoming set of weeks. At the bare minimum, too, the shooting guard will probably sniff out the market for a while before he makes up his mind for sure.

When all is said done, one thing is an absolute given. No matter what happens with Nick Young this summer, there will certainly be sprinkles of fun along the way. That is who Uncle P is and that is a characteristic of his that will never fluctuate.

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