The Lakers need to make something happen this offseason. That much is clear. But the exact details of what they need to do are far from clear.
Sure, the obvious answer is to trade Russell Westbrook. But that is much easier said than done given Westbrook's declining skillset and loaded contract. But the Lakers don't have to go through another awful season in 2022-2023. They have LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the same team and are a few moves away from turning into a contender.
But they are going to need to be willing to give up some valuable pieces if they want to re-tool and contend next season. And one of those valuable pieces is Talen Horton-Tucker.
Horton-Tucker is just 21 years old and features a high ceiling. He is coming off of a season that saw him average 10 points and 3 rebounds per game over 60 contests. He has displayed steady improvement through his first 3 seasons in the league and could be a breakout candidate next year.
And he also could be the answer to the Lakers problems.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/61Ar04k91qqxag5lQwOEe3?si=ed5d91133a624f9b
2 Reasons Lakers need to trade Talen Horton-Tucker
THT is the Key to Successfully Solving the Russell Westbrook Dilemma
The Lakers are going to need to include Horton-Tucker in any potential Russell Westbrook trade. In fact, it is likely the only way they could successfully trade Westbrook.
Horton-Tucker's sky high ceiling might cause an opposing team to bite the bullet and take on Westbrook's contract. Horton-Tucker could become a franchise player so one year of Westbrook wouldn't be the end of the world. And it's possible that Russ performs better in a new environment.
And there are teams who still believe in Russell Westbrook's ability.
The Lakers Want to Win Now
The Lakers want to win now. LeBron James isn't getting any younger and their current group of players are mostly on the upside of 30. They don't have time to sit back and wait for Horton-Tucker to develop.
Sure, they could keep him around and see if their current roster can win. But the Lakers did not perform well in 2021-2022. And with LeBron's age and Anthony Davis's injury history, Los Angeles needs to take advantage of it's current assets.
Dealing Talen Horton-Tucker away would allow the Lakers to potentially bring in a younger star who could help the team contend as soon as 2022-2023.
In the end, the Lakers would obviously prefer to keep Horton-Tucker on the roster. But trading him could be answer to their problems.
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