Why re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker is so important for the Lakers

Now that the monster trade has been pulled off for Russell Westbrook, the next thing the Los Angeles Lakers must focus on is re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker. After all, he is young, talented, and only going to get better, the Lakers must make it their business to get him back as he will be a very important piece to the Lakers puzzle.

THT is a young and talented player whom we all saw take a giant step forward this past season. All of his numbers improved this season from 2019-2020.

Most importantly was that his playing time increased greatly per game as we saw him inserted into the starting lineup for four games as he appeared in 65 total games for the Lakers this past season.

He averaged 9.0 points per game, 2.8 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. Not too bad for a 20-year-old. Of course, there are things he has to work on such as his defense, long-range shooting and his turnovers but that is understandable as he is a very young player. His upside is very large.

With supreme talents such as Westbrook, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James all playing together, this will only help Horton-Tucker grow and improve as a player. He, of course, will have to step it up in the offseason and learn how to play among three future Hall of Famers under the same roof.

This might take some getting used too but once the system is in place and flowing, Horton-Tucker will benefit greatly from playing among them.

The Los Angeles Lakers cannot give up on Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Los Angeles Lakers see something in him and his talent as he was put in a position last season to do a lot more than the season before. Head coach Frank Vogel placed a lot of responsibility in his hands last season. He definitely sees what he could possibly become.

Horton-Tucker was able to stick around in 2019-2020 and improved greatly during that offseason and during his time in the G League where he spent part of 2019-2020 and averaged 18.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

Talen Horton-Tucker has many tools. His six-foot-four frame is good size for a shooting guard, yet he doesn’t play like a prototypical one as he can slash inside to the basket and possesses the ability to make good moves once inside the paint.

We can only imagine where he will be placed in the new Lakers lineup. Will he be a starter or shall he come off of the bench? I think it will all depend on the improvements he makes during this offseason and what other moves the Lakers make.

That being said, if they choose to re-sign him, he will be an integral part of the team.