Thaddeus Young may opt out of final year of contract

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 25: Thaddeus Young #21 of the Indiana Pacers looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Five of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs between the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers on April 25, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

It’s already below the radar, but Thaddeus Young is reportedly considering opting out of the final year of his contract.

As the start of NBA free agency approaches, all eyes will be on LeBron James and his decision about staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with potential landing spots alongside that conversation. But Indiana Pacers forward Thaddeus Young has his own decision to make, and according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski the veteran big man is “seriously contemplating” opting out of the final year of his contract.

Young has until June 29 to decide on his $13.7 million player option for next season, and if he opts out he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. He was a veteran leader for a surprising Pacers’ team this past season, starting 81 regular season games while averaging 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. In Indiana’s first round playoff series against Cleveland, Young averaged 11.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Approaching his 30th birthday (June 21), Young is surely seeking a longer-term deal in the prime of his career. He can guard multiple positions, and fairly effectively overall, which bolsters his value as the NBA has evolved away from strict templates attached to position labels.

The Pacers probably want to keep Young around, but the financial viability of a multi-year deal could prove tough with center Myles Turner in line for a big contract extension soon. If Young opts out of his contract, and thus reduces the odds of a return to Indiana, Domantas Sabonis would step in as the Pacers’ starting power forward alongside Turner at a much cheaper, rookie deal-level salary next season ($2.66 million).

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Young’s scoring production is on a downward trend since averaging close to 18 points per game for the 76ers in 2013-14. But overall his production decline has not been steep, and he’ll have to weigh the balance of staying on a playoff team for one more year or opting out in an effort to gain some multi-year security.

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