If there was one bright spot in the 2013-14 season for the Los Angeles Lakers, it was Swaggy P aka Nick Young. The Lakers had lost out on Dwight Howard. Steve Nash missed a majority of the season. Kobe Bryant fell to injury once again. The Lakers were forced to start pulling players out of the developmental league as a result. However, Young emerged as a star, exceeding everyone's expectations. Now he would like to get paid as a result, but will it be with Los Angeles?
Young announced that he was opting out of the final year of his contract and testing the market. After averaging 17.9 points per game, he is confident he can find a nice contract offer on the open market. However, what about a return to Los Angeles? According to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers have reached out to Young about a new contract. The team is trying to sway free agents with the prospect of helping Kobe Bryant win a championship in the next two seasons and Young could buy into it.
Young is getting attention in the first day of free agency. After opting out of his $1.2 million player option, he is expecting a nice raise this offseason. The Atlanta Hawks are viewed as a solid fit for the swingman. David Aldridge of NBA.com is reporting that the Hawks are planning to make a splash this offseason and they have the cap space to do so. They are favoring Young to pair with Al Horford who will be returning from injury. They are also favoring Luol Deng if they can beat out the competition.
Along with Young, the Lakers are looking at several free agency options to help out Bryant. With a trade of Nash pending, Los Angeles has reached out to several players including Kyle Lowry and Chris Bosh. There is also the idea that they could be the winners of the LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony teamup, but that is a longshot at best.
If Young returns to Los Angeles, it could end the Lakers pursuit of James and Anthony. Their cap space would be extremely tight with Young's contract along with Nash and Bryant. They would have to hope someone like Deng would join at a pay cut to help round out the roster.
