With LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the fold, the Los Angeles Lakers certainly aren’t lacking in star power. But former player Mychal Thompson believes that the Lakers could soon have another All-Star on their hands in sophomore Talen Horton-Tucker, who has made an impact for the Purple and Gold this season while playing off the bench.
Even at 20 years old, Horton-Tucker has become an important part of the rotation for the defending champions. He averages 7.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and a steal while shooting 46.0 percent from the field in just 17.3 minutes of action.
Thompson, the first overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft and father of Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson, played for four seasons with the Lakers in the last stop of his 13-year NBA career. He had plenty of experience playing will All-Stars, including Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Lakers, however, will soon face an important decision regarding the Horton-Tucker, the 46th overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, as he is set to become a restricted free agent in the offseason. The team can still match any potential offer to THT, but if a different squad believes he could be a future All-Star like Thompson says, he could receive a significant deal that may be too high for the Lakers to pay.
For now, Talen Horton-Tucker remains a valuable part of coach Frank Vogel’s rotation. The encouraging strides he’s made in just his second season has made a believer out of Thompson, someone who played with some of the Lakers' greatest players. Definitely high praise for the young swingman.