Proposed Trade Gives Lakers $30 Million Guard for Talen Horton-Tucker

A proposed trade deal suggests that the Los Angeles Lakers should finally give up on Talen Horton-Tucker. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka tried to avoid this move for such a long time, but it seems like his franchise doesn’t have any other option at the moment. Horton-Tucker struggled with his inconsistency. He may be young, but his inconsistency is a big issue.

Zach Buckley from Bleacher Report advised the Lakers to trade Horton-Tucker and a 2023 second-rounder to the Detroit Pistons. What will Pelinka get in return? Pistons combo guard Alec Burks. In the 2021-22 NBA season, Burks averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while going 39.1% from the field, 40.4% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the free-throw line.

“Detroit’s future looks too bright to view without protective lenses, but its present could remain bleak for at least another season,” Buckley wrote. “That’s why the Pistons should be interested in flipping a win-now veteran such as Burks for a 21-year-old mystery box such as Horton-Tucker (plus a second-round pick).

“Burks isn’t moving the needle for the Motor City. The possibility that Horton-Tucker might can’t be dismissed. That should be reason enough for Detroit to bite. He had a rocky 2021-22, but his length, shake and scoring tricks still form an intriguing two-way package.”

A reasonable trade for Lakers Horton-Tucker

What makes Burks a better option than THT? He is a better 3-point shooter. The Lakers have to improve their shooting more than anything else.

The Lakers did their best to keep the young player on their roster and ignored offers from other teams. What about now? Eric Pincus from Bleacher Report says that NBA teams view THT as a “marginal asset”.

“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 in January. “He’s still a developing prospect, but he’s about $7.7 million more expensive this season than his contemporaries. But the bigger issue for the Lakers, above his salary, is the 21-year-old guard’s player option before the 2023-24 season.”