Nick Young’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers has been up in the air going all the way back to the NBA trade deadline last year. The Lakers brass tried to trade him before the deadline, during the offseason and appear to be putting out feelers once again this season.
With Thursday’s NBA trade deadline looming, Young is one of the few veterans on the team that could be headed elsewhere. The sixth man has been mentioned as a player the Lakers are willing to move along with Lou Williams, Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert.
So far, there’s been no takers for Young or any of the other players rumored to be on the trading block in Los Angeles. That could easily change in the coming days, and Young is prepared if a trade is made, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
“I’ll be lying if I said I’m not hearing anything,” Young said. “I don’t know if anything’s going to happen. But I’m being prepared and hoping for the best.”
Although Young doesn’t want to be dealt before the trade deadline and hopes to stay in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old admits he’d love to play for a playoff team, via Medina:
“I would love to be on a playoff team and not just be sitting and watching,” Young said. “I would love to be in a playoff atmosphere and be a part of it.”
With a few days left before the trade deadline, it’s possible the Lakers do make a deal to send Young to a playoff-caliber team. Young may not be getting much playing time these days, but he’s still proven to be an effective scorer off the bench when his number is called.
Young’s contract may be the main reason he hasn’t been dealt as of yet. The veteran will earn $5.4 million next season and has a player option at $5.6 million for the following 2017-18 NBA season.
