Lakers limping towards end of a miserable season this year.
Los Angeles Lakers star Nick Young has insisted that there is no benefit in tanking despite a deep draft class this year, as he is still fighting to stay in LA.
The Lakers have now lost eight of their last nine games including six in a row, and inevitably there is a group of supporters hoping to see the streak continue in order to boost the team’s draft standing.
While Young has conceded that other teams may have that mentality heading down the final stretch of the season, he is not thinking about tanking as ultimately he is still trying to play well and secure his future at the franchise.
“I know some teams believe they should tank,” Young said, as reported by ESPN.
“I know a lot of teams out there are probably doing it, because they believe this draft is going to be one of the biggest drafts that’s happened in a long time.
“But for me, I haven’t really paid attention to it. I think we’re not going out there just to lose for the draft because I think we still want to be in the league. These guys are coming in to take our spots, so, I’m not about to give up for somebody else to come in and take my spot.”
There are no guarantees that Young will return next season, despite recently insisting that he would love to stay with the organisation for the rest of his career.
While 11 of the 15 players on the current Lakers roster are set to become free agents this summer, Young will have the option of opting out of his contract which is worth a mere $1.2m for next season.
With a 25-54 record for the season, the Lakers are expected to undergo another roster overhaul this summer, and while Young will likely attract interest after an impressive individual campaign, his priority is still to sit down with the front office and discuss a new deal after proving his worth in the final three games of the regular season.
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