Another veteran player for the Los Angeles Lakers has been shut down for the rest of the 2016-17 NBA season. Nick Young will reportedly be watching from the Lakers bench during the final five games left on the scheduled, according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News:
After initially deciding Young’s playing status on a game-to-game basis, the Lakers have since decided to effectively shut the 31-year-old Young for the last five regular-season games, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Young, who had his best season with the Lakers since joining the team in 2013, will join the likes of fellow veterans Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov on the bench. The 30-year-old guard went from outcast and trade bait following the incident with then-rookie D’Angelo Russell last year to arguably one of the team’s most consistent players on the floor this season.
Despite dealing with a calf strain that initially looked like an Achilles tear earlier in the season, Young has flourished under new head coach Luke Walton this season. Not only did Young play consistently well offensively during the 60 games he was on the floor, but he stepped up his game on the defensive end, impressing Walton and his coaching staff in the process.
Although Young has been productive this season and has seemingly resurrected his once-doomed NBA career, his future with the Lakers is uncertain. Young has a player option on his deal with Los Angeles and remains undecided on whether he’ll opt out in an attempt to secure a long-term contract with the team or elsewhere.
In 60 games, Young averaged 13.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and an assist per game. Young finishes his season shooting 43 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three-point territory.