Report: Teams around the NBA view Talen Horton-Tucker as a ‘marginal’ asset

A new report indicates that Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker is viewed by other NBA teams as only a “marginal” asset.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report offered some insight into how other teams perceive the 21-year-old’s value.

“Now that the Lakers are looking to improve their roster ahead of the trade deadline, Horton-Tucker is viewed by other teams as a marginal asset,” Pincus wrote.

It’s unclear if Horton-Tucker will be traded this season. The Lakers surely don’t want to give him away for a poor return, but the team could use a big move to perhaps turn things around in the 2021-22 campaign.

Over the course of Horton-Tucker’s NBA career so far, he has averaged 9.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steal per game. He’s still a developing player, though many people feel that this season has been a setback for him as far as his growth is concerned.

The Lakers have a veteran-heavy roster that was built with the idea that the team’s experience would help make a strong playoff run. The Lakers arguably don’t have the time to try to turn Horton-Tucker into a standout performer.

Despite his rocky 2021-22 season so far, Horton-Tucker has made great strides as an NBA player after he was likely seen as an afterthought by much of the league. After all, the Lakers chose him with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

As the trade deadline gets closer, the primary focus of the Lakers continues to be to get in a winning groove. They’ll be back in action on Wednesday night for a home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.