The Los Angeles Lakers are starting to embrace life without Kobe and that could mean trading one of the team's valuable asset, Nick Young.
The Lakers currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with a 3-17 record, suggesting that the franchise is in full tank mode and ready to rebuild for the next season.
With Kobe Bryant in his final year of basketball greatness and the NBA's new TV deal kicking next year, the Lakers will have a huge amount of money to spend on one or two superstars.
But according to Eric Yee of Lake Show Life, the Lakers should start preparing for next season as early as now, and that means trading Young.
Young has become the Lakers' lone bright spot amid the team's struggles in the 2015-2016 NBA season. He is averaging 9.5 points off the bench, while shooting a respectable 41.0 percent from the field, and has been effectively performing on both ends of the floor.
However, Young has received two DNPss in his last three outings, and only earned seven minutes in the Lakers' 111-91 loss against the Detroit Pistons, where he was ejected for shoving a defender.
Baxter Holmes of ESPN confirmed that Lakers coach Byron Scott is likely to continue sitting out Young for the next few games despite being healthy.
It was reported that Young's benching has something to do with his comments about the Lakers being a "circus" due to Bryant's excessive playing time that causes LA's losses. But Young not getting any actions could mean a trade is about to happen.
Yee suggested that one of the possible destinations of Young is the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks are currently faring well in the Eastern Conference with a 13-9 records. But the competition in the East is tougher and other teams are lurking around to make it into the top-eight.
Atlanta's starting lineup is putting up strong performances, but their bench has been inconsistent and has lacked the much-needed scoring punch in the second unit.
Young would instantly improve the Hawks' bench shooting woes and could fit well under Mike Budenholzer's offensive system.
Moreover, Young could play for a team that actually runs plays for shooters like him instead of Lakers' isolation heavy offense.
Yee noted that the Lakers could get a young talent like Tim Hardaway Jr, who has been scarcely used by the Hawks.
The ESPN trade machine approved a trade of Young in exchange of Hardaway and Shelvin Mack.
Hardaway could be part of the Lakers' rebuilding process, but the 16-time NBA champ would probably prefer a future draft pick.
Young's trade value is at an "all-time high," and it is just a matter of time before the Lakers trade him for a future piece.