Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports that the 29-year-old forward has opted out of his contract. The player option for the upcoming season would have paid him $1.2 million.
For Young, the move isn't as much about leaving the Lakers as it is about securing more money after his breakout season last year. The electric scorer expressed his desire to stay in Purple and Gold, via McMenamin:
"I always wanted to be a Laker and it will be a dream come true to still be here, but it's crazy," the seven-year veteran said in April. "You never know what happens. Last year they had a whole different team. It's obvious they're going to make some changes."
The problem going forward is that—as Young says—changes are on the horizon for the Lakers. After an abysmal 27-55 season, it's clear that the roster will need to be rebuilt.
Fortunately for the Lakers, they are in a position to do just that. According to Spotrac, the Lakers only have Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Kendall Marshall and Robert Sacre on the roster for 2014. Bryant and Sacre are the only ones committed for 2015.
Looking at the flexibility the Lakers have, there are one of two ways that the Lakers could go about building a contender.
The first is the way most small-market teams build. That means the Lakers take a player with the No. 7 pick in the upcoming draft and look to build a young nucleus over the next few seasons. Marc Stein of ESPN reports that the Lakers are most likely going to keep the pick:
The other course of action is a bit more extreme. Stein and Brian Windhorst of ESPN have named the Lakers as one of three teams that are looking to make a run at both LeBron James an...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
