Swag champion Nick Young's future with the Los Angeles Lakers is uncertain. This summer, he has the chance to either opt in or out of his $1.2 million player option. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told Mark Medina of LA Daily News that he guesses Young will opt out.
Nick Young’s future with Lakers hangs in the balance this summer
The Swag Mamba has a player option to exercise this summer, which brings to question his future in Los Angeles.
Stephen Dunn
But Young’s agent Mark Bartelstein insists that Young wants to be in L.A.
“Nick wants to be a Laker,” Bartelstein. “But his focus right now is to get healthy, get back on the court soon and finish rest of the season. That’s a conversation Mitch and I will have, but it’s too early at this point to talk about what he’s going to do.”
Sunday Shootaround
Young has missed the last three weeks with a knee injury, but he’s played well enough on the season to increase his market value past the $1.2 million he would earn if he opted into his player option. He’s averaging 16.9 points on above average True Shooting (54.1), per Basketball-Reference, and has, at times, helped carry the bulk of the Lakers’ scoring.
Opting out of his contract this summer gives him a chance to re-sign with L.A. for a more lucrative deal, but it also opens the possibility of finding a new home. The Lakers have a good amount of cap space this summer and beyond, but it’s unclear how much money they are willing to shell out to Young, who is still known as a bit of a wildcard on both ends of the floor.
Either way, Young is in for a pay raise this summer, whether that be in Los Angeles or elsewhere. Swag.
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