Throughout last season, the Lakers were dangling Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, and a first-round pick in front of rival teams in a feeble attempt to improve the team's roster. LA was selling snake oil. Nunn wound up missing the entire season due to a right knee injury and Talen Horton-Tucker certainly didn't have the breakthrough year that many were hoping for.
Despite his lackluster year though, some NBA teams are still Horton-Tucker believers according to Heavy.com's Sean Deveney. In fact, the anonymous Western conference executive believes most teams would be happy to have Horton-Tucker on their roster.
"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.”
The exec also thinks Horton-Tucker's struggles are partly institutional.
“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."
He isn't completely off base. Throughout the Jeanie Buss era, the Lakers have struggled to develop players. Former Lakers like Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, and Ivica Zubac started reaching their full potential once they left the Lakers.
Last season, Horton-Tucker played 25.2 MPG, but shot just 41.6% from the field and 26.9% from the field in 60 games.
It appears those numbers haven't scared off some teams which is good news for a Lakers team that is thin on talent and will explore any and all avenues to improve the roster this summer.
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