Nick Young might have finally played his final game with the Los Angeles Lakers, as he is reportedly leaning towards opting out of the final year of his contract to test the free-agency market this coming summer.
Young, who can pocket $5.7 million by exercising his player's option for next season, has not provided any concrete details about his future plans, but he hinted that he wanted to play for a winning team when he becomes a free-agent "At my age, I don't know if I want to sit around & wait for another team to progress and grow," Young said during the exit interview.
According to Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, Young (13.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per game) might have a chance to land a decent deal with a contender this summer, especially if his agent parlays his 40.4 percent three-point shooting - his second highest shooting clip from beyond the arc - well to potential suitors.
"Sir Swags-a-Lot can barge his way into the Lakers' 2017-18 plans by opting into the final year of his deal. He is undecided on that front, per the Los Angeles Times' Lindsey Thiry. His agent will have to get a handle on the market before anything is final.
But even a tepid pool of suitors should coax Young into free agency. If he doesn't match his $5.7 million salary for next season, he'll at least be able to parlay his 40.4 percent three-point clip-the second-highest of his career-into more money over the long haul."
Nick Young's contract situation won't have a huge impact on the Lakers' salary-cap flexibility this offseason. In case, Young opts into the final year of his deal, the front-office can simply waive Tarik Black's non-guaranteed deal worth $6.6MM to keep their projected starting cap at $17.5MM.
However, Favale still thinks Young will opt out and test the free-agency waters, considering that this summer could be his last chance at landing a multi-year deal in his career.
