USA Today via Reuters
Jan 4, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 4, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts against the Sacramento Kings in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers sit at the 9th seed in the NBA’s Western Conference after their latest loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. With the trade deadline fast approaching, the ideal move for the Lakers would be to exchange some members of their roster for players that can suit LeBron’s style of play.
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One of the players who has been in trade talks is Talen Horton-Tucker. Although THT finished the Portland game with 14 points, he has rarely been effective this season, averaging only 9.5 points per game while shooting 41% from the field. The guard has not lived up to the potential he displayed in the 2020-21 season and is likely to be traded at the deadline. In light of this, LeBron’s Lakers and the Raptors have been involved in trade talks for guard Goran Dragic.
Report: Lakers and Raptors have discussed Talen Horton-Tucker trade https://t.co/NakHTngpYJ
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 10, 2022
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THT likely to part ways with LeBron James’ Lakers
As mentioned earlier, Tucker has endured a disappointing season so far. Despite having a few games where he has 20 points or more, on 23 occasions, the guard has scored fewer than 10 points. To make matters worse, his scoring has not changed significantly despite him receiving nearly 6 minutes more on average as compared to the previous season.
Imago
Talen Horton Tucker 2020-21 Regular Season vs 2021-22 Regular Season (Stats valid as of 10th Feb 2022)
Coming to his defense, the guard has not lived up to his potential despite having a 7-foot wingspan. Since the previous season, his Defensive Rating has increased, thereby indicating a drop in defensive performance.
USA Today via Reuters
Nov 15, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker (5) is defended by Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (12) in the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
As part of the proposed trade, the Lakers are looking to acquire Goran Dragic from the Toronto Raptors. Although Dragic can bring in veteran leadership, the age factor of Dragic once again becomes detrimental to the Lakers. At 35, Dragic isn’t the most effective defensive player. And on offense, he currently averages just 8 points and nearly two assists.
Imago
Talen Horton-Tucker vs Goran Dragic 2021-22 Regular Season (Stats valid as of 10th Feb 2022)
To make matters worse, Dragic has only played five games this season and has been out since November 2021 citing personal reasons. So it’s quite a gamble for the Lakers to pursue this exchange. Although Dragic’s contract is an expiring one, it is still worth $19.4 million. This could potentially eat up cap space that the Lakers can use for other players.
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