The Los Angeles Lakers lose another shooter from last year’s roster after Nick Young declines his player option.
Swaggy P is leaving the City of Angels.
According to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News, Nick Young declined his 2017-18 player option with the Los Angeles Lakers, betting wisely that he can earn more than $5.7 million on the open market:
"“He felt like he’s at a point where he knows the Lakers are going in a different direction,” Young’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. “They were clear with that at the end of the season and the way things went. Nick loves to play. He felt like this is an opportunity to choose his own destiny and pick the best spot where he can get a chance to contribute at a high level. That’s what is most important to him.”"
Young is coming off a strong season under Luke Walton, posting a career best 0.5 Value Over Replacement Player (VORP) from improved defense and accurate high volume shooting (.430/.404/.856 splits).
With the Lakers in cap clearing mode, they are unlikely to make a long-term offer to Young, meaning the starting backcourt next season will be completely new, having traded away D’Angelo Russell on Tuesday. Obviously, there is a strong possibility that Lonzo Ball will fill one of those spots.
Beginning with the Lou Williams trade for a first round draft pick at the trade deadline, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have traded away or let go much of team’s perimeter shooting; in fact, three of the top four shooters (by attempts) from last season’s squad are now gone.
Having added Brook Lopez as a temporary piece for next season in the Timofey Mozgov trade, the awkward big man will amazingly represent one of the team’s better options from three.
The Lakers don't have a single player under contract who shot the league average (35.8%) from 3pt range. Brook Lopez (34.6%) was closest.
— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) June 21, 2017
If Jordan Clarkson survives the offseason, he might average 35 shots per game next season!
The roster is still fluid, of course, and it’s quite possible that a star like Paul George will join the fold and account for a large share of the shots. He is only one piece, a wing piece, and a possible cornerstone for the future. How the organization works to fill out the roster around him will be something to watch.
The Lakers are like Daniel Kahneman, thinking fast and slow. They are hoping to build fast by clearing unnecessary contracts and attracting superstars, while building slowly through the development of a young core of Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Clarkson, and soon another lottery player.
Next: NBA Trade Grades - Lakers send Russell to Nets for Lopez
The 32-year-old Young does not fit into the Lakers’ roster plans for the future, which is why letting him walk away without a long-term offer is prudent. Young played 220 games as a Laker, averaging 13.1 points per game in a usually one-dimensional shooting role, with his assist and rebounding totals never inspiring. The former first round pick of the Washington Wizards will hope to find a lucrative contract elsewhere.