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Brooklyn Nets News: Thaddeus Young Opts Out Of His Contact

By Kenneth Teape

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The Brooklyn Nets were put a little behind the eight-ball this week, as Thaddeus Young decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer. He is a player the Nets cannot afford to lose, so you can be sure that he will strike it rich in July as the Nets will more than likely pay whatever it takes to retain his services.

The Brooklyn Nets’ offseason just became a whole lot more complicated, as power forward Thaddeus Young decided to opt out of his contract, and become an unrestricted free agent this summer according to General Manager Billy King. While it is the right decision for Young to opt out and maximize his earnings, it is something that the Nets would have rather seen not happen.

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Young held a player option for $10.2 million for the 2015-16 season, but decided to decline it in hopes of landing a multi-year deal. That should be no problem for the recently turned 27 year old. He should have no problem landing the $10.2 he was owed, in addition to getting long term security. He is a player that the Nets must retain at any cost, and with other teams in the NBA now being able to negotiate with Young, the Nets could be forced to overpay.

Young was acquired by the Nets at the trade deadline last season from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Garnett. With the Nets, Young averaged 13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game in only 29.6 minutes per game. He was efficient from the field, making 49.5 percent with the Nets and even showcased an ability to knock down shots from the perimeter, connecting from the three-point line at a 38 percent clip with the Nets. It is not his strong suit, but being able to knock down a perimeter adds versatility to the offense and keeps the defense honest.

Young was also able to combine with Brook Lopez, who may also opt of out his contract, to become quite a duo in the middle. Both players are exceptionally talented and gave the Nets one of the better inside tandems in the NBA. They played well off of each other and gave the Nets an advantage in the paint almost every night.

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When King was asked if Lopez or Young were max players, he responded with next question. The truth is that neither player may be worth a max contract, but that is what the Nets may be forced to do. They hold both the bird rights for both Lopez and Young, meaning they can offer them more money than potential suitors can on the free agent market. That is a good thing to have in their back pocket, but being forced to offer either player more than their market value will just put the Nets in another salary cap hole, which they are still trying to fix and climb themselves out of now.

Young opting out puts the Nets in a tough position because he is not a player they can afford to lose, but at the same time he does not fit the profile of a player that deserves a max contract either. While Young will surely get his this offseason, it will more than likely come at the expense, and future cap flexibility, of the Nets, who do not have the money to replace Young should he leave as a free agent.

Next: Is Jason Kidd trying to sign Brook Lopez?

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