Lakers Rumors: Best potential new homes for Nick Young in free agency
By Jason Reed
1. Washington Wizards
The best potential fit for Nick Young next season, outside of Los Angeles, is with the team that drafted him. Young started his career with the Washington Wizards, playing with the team for four and a half seasons before being dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. Young may want to head back to the place he first called home, and quite frankly, he would be a great fit.
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One thing to note for Young is that the Wizards are contenders. Washington pushed the Boston Celtics to seven games in the conference semifinals and could be one piece away from locking in their chances for the finals. With some big name free agents this offseason, the Wizards could turn into a dangerous team.
However, the Wizards themselves are seeing a lot of pieces heading to free agency. Both Otto Porter Jr. and Bojan Bogdanovic have player options this offseason, and as they only make seven million and four million, respectively, the duo may look to opt out in pursuit of a larger contract.
Washington would be unwise to bring either guy back on big contracts. There are teams out there with a lot of cap space that will overpay these guys, and if Washington were to match that then it would only hurt the franchise.
Instead, the team should bring in Young to either serve as a starter or perhaps a backup if the Wizards were able to sign a big name like Gordon Hayward. Young would get a good amount of minutes, head to a contender, and return to the place he once called home.
Next: Three reasons why the Lakers should draft Dennis Smith Jr.
Overall, these Lakers rumors regarding Nick Young may be troublesome to fans of Swaggy P. However, the NBA is indeed a business, and Young has some great fits outside of LA.