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Lakers could significantly improve from THT with this rumored trade target

Jerry Trotta|
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 03: Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 03, 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 Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 03: Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 03, 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 Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

NBA free agency is just hours away and the Los Angeles Lakers currently have minimal spending flexibility. In fact, the franchise has just one Taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth $6.479 million. In other words, Rob Pelinka will have to get creative by shopping at the bottom of the market.

Unfortunately, the Lakers don’t have a proven track record in terms of signing players at the minimum. Malik Monk proved to be a huge success and Carmelo Anthony was decent, but Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington, Dwight Howard, DeAndre Jordan and Rajon Rondo left a lot to be desired.

If you really think about it, Stanley Johnson, whom the Lakers signed to three 10-day contracts last campaign before signing him for the rest of the season, proved to provide a better return on investment than those veterans.

Still in need of guard help, could LA take to the trade market instead of signing players to the minimum? Though the Kyrie Irving dream fell by the wayside after he opted into his player option for 2022-23, Dan Woike of the LA Times floated the idea of the Lakers pursuing out-of-favor Bulls guard Coby White.

The Lakers’ top bargaining chip in this deal? Talen Horton-Tucker.

Could the Lakers swap Talen Horton-Tucker for Coby White?

Woike listed the likes of Mo Bamba, Thomas Bryant, Josh Jackson, TJ Warren and Gary Payton II as potential free agent targets, but White’s ability to break down a defense and catch fire from beyond the arc makes him the more intriguing addition. Here’s what Woike said of the Bulls’ former No. 7 overall pick.

"The Lakers could also look to acquire players via trade, with rival executives believing Chicago’s Coby White could be a target. Moving Talen Horton-Tucker, a player whose ball-dominant skills are viewed by rival scouts as being redundant with the Lakers’ stars, could be a way to upgrade to suit the Lakers’ needs."

Horton-Tucker’s trade value is as low as it’s ever been after his underwhelming 2021-22, so the Lakers might have to include some draft picks to appease Chicago, but they should do anything to offload the former second-round pick at this point. Like Woike said, Horton-Tucker, while a decent slasher, largely needs the ball in his hands to provide offense. That obviously doesn’t mesh with LeBron James. And if Russell Westbrook ends up sticking around, well, the same logic applies.

White, on the other hand, appears to be fifth in the Bull’s backcourt pecking order behind Zach LaVine (assuming he’s re-signed), Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and budding stud Ayo Dosunmu, who made the 2021-22 All-Rookie Team.

In 61 games last season, White averaged 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field and an elite 38.5% on threes. It’s worth noting White posted 4.8 assists per game in 2020-21 before Ball and Caruso arrived and ate into his minutes and time as the primary ball-handler. While a shoot-first guard, the former UNC star is more than capable of creating for his teammates.

White isn’t the missing piece to the Lakers’ puzzle, but he’d go a long way towards improving their backcourt depth. And if it means offloading the declining Horton-Tucker, who could benefit from a change of scenery, how could they say no?

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