Lakers Coach Byron Scott On Nick Young: ‘He’s Not Here With Us, Mentally’

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As if dealing with one of the worst seasons in franchise history wasn’t bad enough, the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t even finish the 2015-16 campaign on a high note. Rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell got caught up in a scandal involving teammate Nick Young and now that seems to be all anyone hasn’t talked about over the past week or so.

Even before this recent scandal surfaced, Young already wasn’t in the good graces of his head coach Byron Scott. Young rarely gets on the floor these days and may have played his last game for the Lakers with the veteran set to be inactive for the rest of the season.

Coach Scott commented on the situation with Young recently claiming the veteran’s mentality isn’t focused on basketball right now via ESPN’s Jovan Buha:

“It has nothing to do with the chemistry,” Scott said at practice Monday. “It has everything to do with just basketball. Right now, I know what he’s going through, and I know it’s hard on him. But he’s not here with us, mentally, and there’s no need for me to put him out there on the floor.”

Along with all the off-the-court issues, Young is currently dealing with as a result of the leaked video footage of him admitting his infidelities to wife-to-be, Iggy Azalea; reports have begun to surface about the team’s intention to trade him in the offseason.

At one point in Young’s stint with the Lakers, the veteran was the only bright spot for the struggling franchise. After leading the team in scoring a few years ago, the Lakers re-signed Young to a four-year deal with his fourth year being a player option.

The Lakers will find it difficult to trade Young, but it seems as if the organization is determined to part ways with the journeyman. It may be only a matter of time before Young is traded, bought out or released.