Los Angeles Lakers: Teams will regret passing on Talen Horton-Tucker

After falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, teams will regret passing on Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Los Angeles Lakers had no draft picks going into the NBA draft this season. During the draft they made a trade for the 46th pick and with it they selected Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Lakers traded cash considerations and their 2020 second round pick to Orlando. With options like Jaylen Hands (UCLA) and Kyle Guy (Virginia) it was seen as an interesting pick.

Horton-Tucker is an intriguing option due to a number of reasons. The first being that he is only 18-years-old. It’s not common for a player of that age that played a year of college to go in the second round. Usually these players either go top 15 or return to college for another year.

Horton-Tucker bet on himself by entering his name in the draft and as of now it has paid off. The Lakers took him and seem to have high expectations.

The 6”4 wing is a jack-of-all-trades player. He is strong (233 lb), and a terrific athlete who can defend multiple spots on the floor.

At Iowa State he averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He showed signs of being a top-notch defender with sneaky playmaking ability. Horton-Tucker’s build and ability to track down loose balls can make him a good rebounder in the league despite being undersized.

The question with Horton-Tucker is whether he will be a good shooter in the league. In one year with the Cyclones he shot 31% from deep. The positive is that he made 1.4 threes per game and displayed confidence shooting it.

Unfortunately for the Lakers and their fans he missed the Summer League with a foot injury. The injury doesn’t seem to be too serious as he’s expected to participate in the preseason in October.

Look for Horton-Tucker to get some solid playing time in preseason with the Lakers not riding their players like most teams. It’s unlikely that the Lakers will play guys like LeBron, Anthony Davis, and their veterans big minutes.

Horton-Tucker will likely not play much in year one, especially with the Lakers acquiring guys like Quinn Cook and Avery Bradley. However the one thing that you can bet on is that he will be ready when his number is called.

An 18-year-old with versatility isn’t easy to find. If Horton-Tucker can become a consistent threat from the outside he will be one of the steals of this draft for years to come.

Teams will look back and say why didn’t we take him?