The Talen Horton-Tucker era came to an end in Los Angeles this week when the Los Angeles Lakers traded him and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Patrick Beverley.
Beverley, a proven veteran, figures to help the Lakers in the backcourt, and it opens up a path for Los Angeles to trade away guard Russell Westbrook at some point this offseason.
According to The Ringer’s Chris Vernon, Horton-Tucker was on an “island” during his time with the veteran-heavy Lakers.
“When I talked to some people connected to Horton-Tucker, he was kind of on an island in the sense of he’s like the only young guy,” Vernon said. “He didn’t have buddies to go run around with. This is an old team with a bunch of veteran guys. He didn’t have a bunch of friends.”
Vernon also explained that playing time and having to fit in with a LeBron James-led team was also probably not the best thing for Horton-Tucker’s development as a player.
The Lakers had high hopes for Horton-Tucker, who was a second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The team decided to keep him on the roster last offseason with a new deal, but it let Alex Caruso walk in the process.
Now, neither player is in Los Angeles, as Caruso signed a deal with the Chicago Bulls last offseason.
There’s still time for Horton-Tucker to turn things around
Horton-Tucker’s efficiency took a major hit in the 2021-22 season, as he shot just 41.6 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from beyond the arc. Both marks were the worst of his three-year NBA career.
The former second-round pick has shown some flashes as a scorer, as he did drop 40 points in a game in April against the Golden State Warriors.
For a Utah team that seems on the verge of a rebuild if it trades away Donovan Mitchell, Horton-Tucker is a perfect player to buy low on. He’s just 21 years old and has a player option on his contract for the 2023-24 season.
It’s unfortunate that Horton-Tucker was unable to really fit in with an older Lakers team, but now it appears he’ll have a chance to flourish in Utah. Meanwhile, the Lakers grabbed a proven veteran in Beverley that will help them compete for an NBA title in the 2022-23 season.
