It's no secret that the Lakers tried shopping Talen Horton-Tucker around during the February trade deadline this past season. Nothing came to fruition, though, and the 21-year-old still remains to be a Laker. It would not be surprising, however, if the front office once again explores the possibility of moving THT this summer.
The Lakers don't have too many trade assets to go by and one of their most valuable pieces happens to be Horton-Tucker. If LA indeed decides to trade the 6-foot-4 shooting guard now, then they would be glad to know that THT would possibly command league-wide interest:
“I think, with Talen, obviously he did not get to where everyone wanted him to be that quickly. But he is 21 years old. He is playing for the Lakers and development is not the biggest thing there. Every season he has been in the league, there has been COVID and the bubble and something that has gotten in the way of him making steps. But I think most of us would take him on our team in a minute. He is big (6-foot-4) and long, he can handle the ball, he can initiate the offense, he will be a good defender even if he is not there yet. He has value,” an anonymous executive told Sean Deveney of heavy.com.
It is worth noting that Horton-Tucker could decide to walk away from the Lakers next summer. He has a player option on the final year of his deal (2023-24 season), so if he so chooses, he could opt out of his contract next year to hit free agency. The last thing the Lakers want is for THT to walk away for nothing, so in terms of his market value, now would probably be the best time to cash in on him in a potential trade.
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