Report: Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker both drawing interest from Eastern Conference team

By Jason Simpson
Updated: June 11, 2021

According to a recent report, the Cleveland Cavaliers are showing interest in two key players from this year’s Los Angeles Lakers team. Those players are Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker, both of whom are guards.

“Any potential free agency list should start with Indiana’s T.J. McConnell and Los Angeles pest Alex Caruso,” wrote Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Both are Cavs targets. Both fit really well. Some prefer Caruso. He’s younger, bigger, stronger and can guard multiple spots. Others like McConnell more. Even though he doesn’t shoot many 3s, he’s more polished, capable of filling in as starter, puts pressure on the rim and was the league’s total steals leader.

“Talen Horton-Tucker is another name to watch — although he will be a restricted free agent if the Lakers make a qualifying offer.”

The Cavaliers are moving along in their rebuild, and reportedly are hoping to contend for a playoff berth as soon as next season.

Caruso and Horton-Tucker would be solid additions to a young Cleveland squad.

This past season, Caruso averaged 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest over 58 games. Most of his value came as a three-point specialist, as the 27-year-old shot the ball at a 40.1 percent rate from beyond the arc.

Horton-Tucker, on the other hand, just completed his second season in the NBA and showed signs of growth this past year. He averaged 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, all of which were improvements over his clips in his rookie season.