Nick Young seems to be a popular player amongst fans, with his outgoing personality and entertaining style of play a good fit for Los Angeles. He is loose and care-free when out on the court, and he’s never afraid of the moment. He never sees a shot he doesn’t like and will always go for the big scoring play instead of an easier one. However, he is one of the few players on the roster who may hold enough value to get a quality asset in return, and the Los Angeles Lakers need to try and trade him before the deadline.
Young is not having a good season for the Lakers, and he has struggled to earn the trust of his coaches. In 20 minutes a game he is only averaging eight points, while shooting only 37 percent from the field. He continues to take difficult shots and slows down the offense with his preferred isolation plays. He has yet to utilize his skill set and be more of a playmaker for his teammates.
Defensively, Young is very inconsistent. There are some plays where he shows that he is capable of playing one on one defense, but most of the time he is lazy and loses his assignment too easily. He doesn’t hustle back or make the right decisions in transition, often times giving up easy baskets.
Even with the tough year, Young’s ability to score off of the bench is still valuable to teams trying to make the playoffs. Rotations tend to get shorter and coaches need players who can get their team out of a slump and carry an offense for stretches. Young is still good enough to be a top scorer with the right second unit, and teams could get desperate as the deadline approaches.
The Lakers put a lot of trust in Young by giving him a longer contract, but it has yet to pay off. This could be the season where they try to unload him, despite his popularity in Los Angeles. They might not get much, but any future assets at this point should be welcomed with open arms. The Lakers need to continue to add draft picks when they can, and trading Young could be a good move for the future.
