And it might even come at a discount rate.
According Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Young plans to opt out of the final year and $1.2 million of his current contract this summer. But the shot-happy wing told Serena Winters of Lakers Nation he would be willing to give his hometown team a break on a new deal:
Young has enjoyed a career year in an otherwise lost season for the Lakers, tossing up 17.5 points while hitting two triples per game. Thanks in part to a personal-best true-shooting percentage of 55.7 percent, Young is also enjoying the first above-average player efficiency rating of his career, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Beyond the numbers, Young has given Lakers fans a much-needed dose of fun. His shot selection is wildly unpredictable, his obvious joy is infectious and his willingness to try for the home run on every swing is always entertaining.
In fact, his freewheeling style even won over one of the NBA's true old-school personalities recently:
And his inimitable flair (or, swag, as the self-styled Swaggy-P prefers) invites the sort of levity the Lakers needed in such a rough season:
It's hard to know what kind of offer Young will command on the open market. Most savvy teams aren't willing to invest big money in a low-efficiency scorer who doesn't bring much else to the table. If some desperate club comes along and offers big bucks, though, Young will be sorely tempted to take it. After all, he may never have a better opportunity to cash in.
Remember, Kobe Bryant lashed out at management in March. So if L.A. can't retain Young at a price that still enables it to pursue the kind of talent Bryant desires, Young's hope to stay at home might not amount to much.
The Lakers have a num...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
