Many Los Angeles Lakers fans have been frustrated with general manager Rob Pelinka for not making prudent personnel moves over the past couple of years.
Dating to the 2020-21 season, guard Talen Horton-Tucker was brought up in multiple trade rumors. He was thought to have some trade value as a young player on the rise, but Pelinka held onto him until late in the summer when he sent him to the Utah Jazz for Patrick Beverley.
According to Dave McMenamin, the Lakers had an opportunity to receive a first-round draft pick from the Toronto Raptors last season for Horton-Tucker, but they said no.
“I’m told that the Lakers had talks with the Toronto Raptors where the Raptors late last year when it already looked like the Lakers were probably out of it or, at the very least, going to be a low seed and wouldn’t have a likely championship path to go all the way, the Raptors would have traded for Talen Horton-Tucker. Traded a first-round pick. So, think about that, the Lakers had another first-round pick on top of the two firsts right now to play with to try to make this team better…Now, of course, I’m told the trade would have also involved Khem Birch so they would have taken some money there and maybe Birch wouldn’t be the best rotation guy for this group but that first round pick is so valuable and it’s why they’re so hamstrung with what they can pursue right now.”
Beverley so far hasn’t been getting it done offensively, although his defense and leadership have helped at times. He has made just 27.4% of his shots from the field and 24.4% of his 3-point attempts this season.
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