The Los Angeles Lakers made a handful of free-agent signings to kickstart free agency on Friday, all of which had an underlying theme. After being the oldest team in the league last season and falling short, the Lakers have reversed course and have targeted youth.
The four players that the Lakers signed on Friday — Lonnie Walker IV, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown Jr. — are all under 30 years old. Walker and Brown are under25 years old.
While some of the fits might be a bit questionable, it is a good sign to see the Lakers targeting young players, especially when it was rumored that the team would be targeting over-the-hill veterans. There is still a place for the Lakers to add veterans to the team but building a core with youth is the way to go, especially if the team wants continuity.
That being said, these signings could help move one of the three players currently on the roster that was on the 2020 championship team. Trading Talen Horton-Tucker now seems like a much bigger possibility than previously thought.
Why trading Talen Horton-Tucker is now more likely for the Los Angeles Lakers:
We know that the Lakers have shopped THT before, particularly during the deadline last season. We have also broken down the reasons for trading THT here at Lake Show Life, with the primary reason being that when he blossoms (if he does), it will likely be after his current contract ends, anyway.
Horton-Tucker was not good last season and he is not helping the team contend for a championship in 2022-23, either. If the Lakers could flip his youth and promise for someone with a bigger ceiling then that would be the best-case scenario.
Perhaps that is part of a bigger trade for both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Even if it is for a three and D wing like Josh Richardson it would help the team next season and that is all that matters.
Even though his potential likely won’t shine through for another two years, there still was some hesitation with the idea of trading THT before as he was one of few young players on the roster. With the addition of four players under 30, two players under 25 and second-round pick Max Christie, the Lakers are doing much better on the youth department. They can now let THT go.
And just from a roster standpoint, the players that the Lakers have added this offseason will compete for minutes with THT. Walker and Christie are both two guards while Brown and Toscano-Anderson are small forwards.
THT is not a traditional point guard and the Lakers aren’t going to ask him to be the backup one. With these new additions, THT might not get that many minutes next season if he does stick around.
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For that reason, trading THT at the right price now seems much more logical for Rob Pelinka and co.