The relationship between D’Angelo Russell and Nick Young looks to be beyond the point of repair, which could mean that the two will likely be playing for different teams come next season.
According to a report by Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times on Friday, the Lakers will try to trade Young away this summer.
While it would hardly be the first time the team has attempted to do so (Bresnahan also notes that the Lakers tried to deal Young each of the last two seasons), it’s highly likely that all the recent drama over Russell’s leaked video showing Young admitting to cheating on fiancée Iggy Azalea has given the Lakers a renewed sense of urgency in making a deal happen.
The Lakers are reportedly not expected to trade away Russell, as they shouldn’t be considering that the 20-year-old rookie guard looks like the single biggest cornerstone for the future of their franchise.
But find a suitor for Young won’t be easy. Now 30 years old, he is averaging just 7.3 points per game in 19.1 minutes per game this season on a horrific 33.9 percent from the field. Young has steadily declined every single year since signing with the Lakers in 2013 and still has two more years and $11.1 million remaining on his deal.
Young’s overdribbling, contested jumper-jacking style of play has really aged poorly, and with all the off-court baggage he carries with him (not to mention the ridiculous “Swaggy P” persona that can rub teams and their locker rooms the wrong way), the Lakers would be lucky to find any interest whatsoever. Perhaps an outright release would be more likely for Young at this point.
