Editor’s note: The Chronicle is reviewing the season of each player after the Warriors’ second straight championship run.

Last summer, when the Warriors used the full taxpayer mid-level exception of $5.2 million on Nick Young, they subscribed to the same philosophy they had when they brought in JaVale McGee and Matt Barnes the previous season: Any player — even one with an unflattering reputation — can thrive when surrounded by selfless teammates and coaches.

Though hardly a problem in the locker room, Young failed to live up to his price tag this season. His shooting percentage of 41.2 was below his career clip. Unable to rely on Young for his signature shot-making, head coach Steve Kerr was forced to retool his substitution pattern and place more of a burden on Shaun Livingston.

It didn’t help that Young arrived at camp heavy. Though he played in a similar system the previous season under Kerr protege Luke Walton with the Lakers, he was slow to grasp the backdoor cuts foundational to the Warriors’ offense.

Young had nights when he was exactly what Golden State wanted: a cocksure gunner who spaces the floor. In three regular-season games against the Warriors’ biggest threat, Houston, he averaged 16.7 points on 16-for-24 shooting.

But Young struggled with consistency, shuttling in and out of the rotation. Seldom was his offense enough to make up for his defensive shortcomings.

When Kerr shortened his rotation in the playoffs, Young’s playing time was fleeting. In the conference finals, when Kerr gave him an extended run against the Rockets, Young did little outside of hitting the occasional three-pointer.

During Golden State’s NBA Finals sweep, he averaged 1.3 points on just 15.4 percent shooting. The season, however, was still a success from Young’s perspective.

A player who signed with the Warriors with a career winning percentage of 32.5 is now a champ. Anyone wondering how much he enjoyed his first title need only follow his days-long celebration on social media.

Offseason outlook: It is highly unlikely that Young, who is poised to become an unrestricted free agent, will return to Golden State next season. The Warriors want to get younger, and Young would take much-needed minutes away from players the franchise hopes to groom into key cogs.

The good news for Golden State is that this summer’s free-agent class is loaded with proven players who should be available at the mid-level price. With not many other options to sign free agents, the Warriors need whoever they bring in on that mid-level exception deal to be more of an asset than Young was this season.

Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cletourneau@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Con_Chron

More Information Nick Young bio Age: 33 Position: Shooting guard Ht./Wt.: 6-7, 210 pounds Hometown: Los Angeles College: USC Years pro: 11 2017-18 averages: 7.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 17.4 minutes per game Contract status: Young will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.