The Lakers will have a number of big decisions to make this off-season as a number of key players will be free agents at the end of the year.
One of the most popular players on this team, and one who many fans would like to see back next season is sixth man Nick Young. While he is expected to opt-out of his contract, Young has spoken about wanting to remain a Laker after this season. He reiterated that he would love to finish his career as a Laker according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters:
Nick Young: “This is home. I would love to finish off here as a Laker. My kids get to go to school and say my dads a laker – that’s big!”
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 10, 2014
Young is a very valuable commodity in the NBA as he can get his own shot, and excels at coming off the bench. He can easily be the Lakers version of Jamal Crawford or Jason Terry and he is an excellent guy to have in the locker room.
The issue with keeping Young could come down to money, as Young is sure to command a some good contract offers from different teams this season and the Lakers can not overpay and sacrifice their financial flexibility.
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However, that may not be a deal breaker as Winters says that Young could be willing to take less money to remain in Los Angeles:
Nick Young told me a situation where he takes less money to remain a Laker is “definitely” in the realm of possibility
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 10, 2014
Getting Young at what could amount to a discount is something the Lakers would have to take advantage of. Every great team has excellent role players and the Lakers and Young just seem like a perfect fit.
In 60 games this season, Young is averaging 17.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.
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