Los Angeles Lakers

Nick Young reportedly declines his option with the Lakers, will become free agent

Published Jun. 21, 2017 7:47 p.m. ET

Nunzio Ingrassia

The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster will look vastly different next season. A day after the team reportedly reached a deal to send former No. 2 pick D’Angelo Russell and center Timofey Mozgov to the Nets, Lakers shooting guard Nick Young declined his option for the upcoming season and will become a free agent, The Vertical reported Wednesday.

Young, who was scheduled to make $5.6 million next season, spent the past four seasons in Los Angeles and was a part of the worst stretch in franchise history.

The sharp-shooting guard had a bounce-back season last year, shooting 40 percent from deep – the first time he’s shot that well since the 2009-10 season — and was the subject of trade rumors leading up to the February trade deadline.

Young's decision creates more cap space for the Lakers, who reportedly are trying to work out a deal with the Pacers for All-Star swingman Paul George. The Lakers freed up more than $23 million for the summer of 2018, when LeBron James and Russell Westbrook could become free agents, by sending Mozgov and Russell to Brooklyn.