Nick Young (Photo : Getty Images)
Nick Young may already have a team to join should the Los Angeles Lakers decide to waive him.
Many expect the Lakers to get rid of Young before the season starts, with the team "trying to trade him" or "even buy him out," according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Young has been a shell of himself last season, struggling mightily to fit in Byron Scott's coaching schemes.
While the Lakers decided not to stretch Young's salary for the 2016-2017 season, making him count in LA's cap next season for the full $5.4 million he is owed, there is still a possibility the Lakers trade or waive Swaggy P if the Lakers truly intend to part ways with Young.
According to Nick Brown of 12UP, one of the possible destinations for Young, should the Lakers move on from him, is the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Brown's trade proposal has a slight catch for the 31-year-old shooting guard.
"Could the infamous Swaggy P make a long awaited return to the City of Brotherly Love? The answer is yes and no," Brown noted.
"The Lakers are desperately looking to unload the shooting guard, and the Sixers are known for taking on bad contracts in exchange for draft picks, then dumping the contracts immediately after."
In the past few years, the 76ers have been known to accept bad contracts to acquire future draft picks. But Philadelphia is probably past that phase, with the team ready to end their rebuild. It is also uncertain whether the 76ers truly have a genuine interest in adding Young, but, for the right price, Young seems a viable option.
Despite his terrible stint with the Lakers last season, only averaging 7.3 points per game on 33.9 percent shooting from the field, Young is still a capable score and could provide the 76ers a much-needed veteran presence to their core of young talents. Young, if playing well, can be an outside threat for the Sixers off the bench and would add depth at the shooting guard position.
It would evidently easier for the 76ers to pick Young if waived by the Lakers, but if any potential move has to be via trade, Philly could give up one of their big men, allowing them to address their crowded frontcourt.
Nerlens Noel appears as the likely trade piece for the 76ers, who are still pondering on whether to unload a big man from their roster. A deal of Noel for Young would work on ESPN's trade machine, but it is unlikely the 76ers give up a young prospect for a veteran coming off a lackluster season.
The Lakers seem in no rush to deal Young this season, and the 76ers are looking determined to give their loaded frontcourt a try. But surely, something's gotta give, with both teams having tradable pieces approaching the season.
