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Proposed Lakers trade showcases Talen Horton-Tucker’s fall from grace

By Jason Reed

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14: Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors in the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 14: Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Gary Trent Jr. #33 of the Toronto Raptors in the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers are currently looking to just hang on to a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament to at least get the chance to earn a spot in the NBA Playoffs. While the players on the court struggle to win games, the front office behind the scenes is likely already preparing for the offseason.

The biggest thing on the Lakers’ checklist is to get Russell Westbrook off of the books, which is exponentially easier said than done. After that, the Lakers might look to trade Talen Horton-Tucker for a more impactful rotation player.

The Lakers were shopping THT at the deadline. Just because the team could not find a trade, though, does not mean that the Lakers are going to stop from trying this offseason. Horton-Tucker could opt-out of his contract after the 2022-23 season and it might be in the team’s best interest to move on.

The problem is that THT’s value is exponentially low. This is showcased in a recent trade proposal from Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder.

This proposed Lakers trade is a tough pill to swallow for Talen Horton-Tucker.

The problem with this trade package is that it is absolutely realistic and is a fair value for both teams. In fact, you can argue that the Thunder are not getting enough in this deal as Kenrich Williams has turned into a valuable stretch forward.

Any contending team could use a role player like Williams in the rotation and OKC could probably get more than THT for Williams in the offseason. This is a huge problem for the Lakers considering how far Talen Horton-Tucker has fallen from grace.

This is the same player that the team refused to include in a trade for multiple-time all-star Kyle Lowry last season; a trade that could have resulted in multiple titles.

There is still time for THT to reach his potential but the fact of the matter is that he is not playing very well this season. And while he is still young, that does not matter to the Lakers. Why does it matter if he has a high ceiling as a player if that ceiling will be reached with another team?

LA should have sold the commodity while it was hot and instead, the team will probably end up trading him for 80 cents on the dollar this offseason as Rob Pelinka looks to shake something up.

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And while Williams is a solid player, Lowry would have been much better in the purple and gold. Regardless of who the team gets for THT, it will be hard to not think about his fall from grace as an asset.

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