The LA Lakers are not looking to trade Nick Young anymore after shopping him earlier in the summer and it comes as the team has signed Lou Williams, Roy Hibbert and Brandon Bass and some of those players could be starters with D'Angelo Russell, Kobe Bryant, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle in the mix and this comes as Robert Upshaw is pushing to make the roster out of training camp.
The Lakers previously shopped Young to try and clear some salary cap space, but the team did not find a good deal for the forward. The Lakers signed Lou Williams this offseason and some in the media have suggested that Williams and Young are filling the same role on the roster. According to Mark Medina at the Los Angeles Daily News, the Lakers are likely keeping Young for now and sources said Young is "feeling comfortable" about this year after talking with general manager Mitch Kupchak.
Young reportedly said that he is expecting to be on the roster to start the season, but Pro Basketball Talk reports that he could be moved down the line at the trade deadline or later in the season. Young met with Kupchak and according to Medina, they spoke about "private and professional issues" and it looks like Young will remain on the roster for now. Young's deal is not that expensive, as he is signed for over $15 million over the next three seasons.
The Lakers didn't sign Williams to sit on the bench too much and that means Williams and Young could be competing for minutes. The team has some depth there now and if they look at trading Young, Williams is on the roster to hold things down. Young was fairly productive last season while averaging 13 points per game, but he dealt with injuries and shot only 36 percent overall. Williams averaged more points per game than Young last season with 15.5 for the Raptors and he appeared in 80 games.
The Lakers starting lineup has some options for Kobe Bryant and the team has a number of young players that are expected to get significant minutes. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers were looking to add Ty Lawson to get some depth and experience at point guard, but if they go into camp with Jordan Clarkson and D'Angelo Russell as the main guards, Clarkson will likely start. The team let Jeremy Lin leave in free agency and players like Pablo Prigioni and Aaron Brooks have signed deals this offseason.
The team has options up front as well, as Brandon Bass and Roy Hibbert are new additions and could start. The team is going to be cautious with Julius Randle after he missed nearly all of last season and that could give Bass the starting job over the young forward. The team limited Randle's playing time in the Summer League and the same could happen during the season. Larry Nance also gives the team some depth.
Hibbert is going to be the main center with Robert Sacre as his main backup and one question about this season is if Robert Upshaw will make the roster. According to SB Nation, GM Mitch Kupchak spoke about Upshaw to the media and he said that the team is still working on finalizing the roster. Kupchak said the team may add more guard depth, as Upshaw is "unlikely" to "contribute" to the team this season. The Lakers have one roster spot left and it comes as Upshaw previously signed a two year deal with the team.
Check here for more on the trade with Nick Young, the chances of Upshaw making the team or for more on the LA Lakers offseason moves.
