The Los Angeles Lakers could be sellers in the trade market, with Nick Young re emerging as an expendable piece for the Purple and Gold.
Nick Young has experienced a rebirth of his career with the Lakers this season since Luke Walton's arrival. From averaging 7.3 points and playing a little over 19 minutes a game last season, Young is becoming one of the most consistent players in Walton's rotation. The 31-year-old guard is scoring 14.7 points per contest, while shooting a career-high 46.7 percent from the field, including 41.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Considering Young's numbers and his history of consistently being in the rumor mill in the past few seasons, the Lakers may have found their best trade chip if they ever ponder about making moves this season. But according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Young may not have much value in the trade market.
"Its possible Nick is traded, but having talked to teams about Nick Young specifically, he does not have a lot of fans. It's more likely than not he plays out his deal in LA, mostly because there is no market for him and the Lakers don't see open to trade or changes," Kyler wrote.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak also hinted the possibility of standing pat at the trade deadline, which could mean no potential deals for Young. Kupchak insisted that he is loving how the team is playing and the mix of veterans and youngsters the Lakers possess.
"We're going to have to be a little patient. We're going to have to do our job, which is to look at opportunities that may come up in the next month or two. And if there are none-which is fine with me, because I like the young guys on the team-then during the offseason, we'll have to look at opportunities," Kupchak said, reports Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
However, that should not stop teams from calling the Lakers front office about Young's availability.
Several contenders could use Young's shooting prowess to boost their chances of competing well in the playoffs. Teams like the Cavs and Spurs could consider adding Young's 46.7 percent shooting from the field, and it would help them in tremendous ways in their respective postseason bids. But trading Young won't probably give the Lakers much in return.
Young has a player option in the final year of his four-year $21.3 million contract with the Lakers, which could make him a free agent this coming summer. The idea of having Young as a one-year rental for teams could hurt his trade value and do little in the Lakers hopes of getting valuable assets in return.
It remains to be seen whether the Lakers would ultimately consider trading Young as it has been the trend for both parties in the past two years. But if there are intriguing offers on the table for the Lakers, Young would make a good trade piece for Los Angeles.
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