Nick Young: Trade Looming This Summer?

When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Nick Young for a one-year deal in 2013, they knew they had gotten a solid bench player for a hometown discount. Never could they have imagined the exuberance he brought on the court and the way that he has captivated the fans in his return to the team the following year.

A summer of superstar-chasing led them to a four-year, $21.5 million contract signed, sealed and delivered to Swaggy P. The deal made sense, following a career-year for Young with 17.9 points per game (making him the Lakers’ leading scorer) and becoming the most famous Laker besides Kobe Bryant.

Once the ink dried on his deal, nothing has been quite the same for Young. While still offering fans his always striking personality, his play on the court sputtered and he underwent a year of licking several wounds.

The first was in his downward spiral of performance, where his scoring took a dip to 13.4 PPG on 36.6 percent shooting. The wounds came in the form of an early season injury to his shooting hand where he tore a ligament. The latter portion of the year cost Young several games with a fractured knee. Not the ideal time that Young wanted to prove he earned his contract.

On top of the sputtering performance and injuries, the relationship with head coach Byron Scott was definitely shaky. Whether it’s been because of Young’s perceived lack of seriousness or defense, Scott has definitely taken action against him. Dan Feldman of the ProBasketballTalk.com covered a Jan. 25 lost to the Houston Rockets where Young’s effort was in question:

"“It looked to me, to be honest with you, that he didn’t want to be there. That’s how I looked at him. At halftime, we showed something on the tape where he was guarding Brewer in the corner. I asked him, ‘What were you thinking on this play?’ And the answer he gave me, I couldn’t figure it out. And so, I just felt like, with his body language, that he didn’t want to play tonight. So, I chose not to play him.”"

Being benched and logging DNPs has been a thing for Young, which has led to greater questions. For one, the Lakers are certainly going in favor of a youth movement. Jordan Clarkson, Jabari Brown, and quite possibly the draft pick they will have this season seem poised to play many perimeter minutes going into next season. Where does that leave Young?

Going into the summer, look for the Lakers to entertain trade offers for Young. Despite his popularity and Los Angeles roots, how much more can the team get out a guy approaching the front-side of 30? On top of the unknown that lies ahead, Young’s deal seems more and more movable with the rising cap coming in the future. Despite a poor season, he is a reserve offensive threat that could definitely help a contender in need of scoring (cranes neck at the Los Angeles Clippers).

The value that Young will draw is likely the biggest question in moving him. Maybe he’s worth a first or second-round package along with a young piece. With teams like the Boston Celtics looking to make moves with assets to offer, the Lakers could find a suitor before the start of next season. Leaving Los Angeles may be devastating for Young, but a fresh start with a competitive squad could ease the pain. Sometimes it’s not always good to be the Hometown Kid.

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