Talen Horton-Tucker: Raptors
Talen Horton-Tucker should have been traded to the Toronto Raptors last season, period. There have been multiple reports that the Lakers rejected the Raptors’ offer for Kyle Lowry because they did not want to include THT in the trade package (as well as knowing that Lowry would sign a thre-year, $90 million contract in the offseason).
The trade would have been Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, THT and some draft capital (probably the 22nd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft). The Lakers could have traded two guys who are no longer on the team, a pick they already traded and THT for Lowry.
Instead, the Lakers held onto Horton-Tucker and backed themselves into a corner. The team had to re-sign him in the offseason because if they refused to trade him and then let him walk it would have been a horrible look.
That resulted in the Lakers overpaying for a 21-year-old who has potential but does not have more potential than any other 21-year-old in the league. That also resulted in the team letting Alex Caruso walk, who was one of the best defenders in the league.
Better yet, if the Lakers traded for Lowry last season they probably would have extended him and would have never had Westbrook. Do you know what would be better than having Westbrook? Having Lowry, Caruso and Kyle Kuzma.
Meanwhile, THT has been one of the worst players in the league this season and had virtually no value at the trade deadline.