Tag: Talen Horton-Tucker

Talen Horton-Tucker explains decision-making process to re-sign with Lakers

Talen Horton-Tucker described why he chose to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers on a fresh three-year deal.

The Los Angeles Lakers let multiple free agents walk, but not Talen Horton-Tucker.

After letting guards Alex Caruso and Dennis Schroder leave for two Eastern Conference teams, the Lakers retained Horton-Tucker, the third and final ball-handling guard L.A. had in free agency.

Horton-Tucker came back on a three-year deal worth $32 million, so L.A. has strong expctations he’ll continue to blossom after a promising sophomore campaign.

During his press conference after the Lakers announced the deal, Horton-Tucker explained why he chose to return.

“I feel like it was a no-brainer just to come back where I started, kind of run it back,” Horton-Tucker said.

With the Lakers adding win-now veterans Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza and more to the fold, it’s not a secret L.A. is all-in for another title. Horton-Tucker said chasing a ring, especially with this roster, played a huge factor in his decision.

“I want to win championships and compete, so being around these group of guys we’re going to have is going to be a plus for me,” Horton-Tucker said. “It’s going to be great.”

The 20-year-old guard needs to improve his perimeter shooting and overall defense, but he already acknowledged those two pieces are crucial to his development next season.

If Horton-Tucker can gradually assemble the parts to his skill set, he could become a seriously potent talent in this league.

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WATCH: Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker plays basketball at Dreamville Chi-League

Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker returned to his hometown to play basketball at the Dreamville Chi-League.

After breaking into the rotation during the 2020-21 campaign, Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker is primed for a bigger role next season.

During last year’s preseason games, Horton-Tucker stood out with multiple big outings; he displayed impressive downhill attacking skills with the budding potential to grow in other departments.

Horton-Tucker received chances to put his skills to use in games that counted throughout the regular season, and he gradually inserted himself into the rotation when injuries began accumulating. It helped that he was essentially the only off-the-dribble threat on the bench.

During the offseason, Horton-Tucker has appeared to be working hard to improve his game next season. Most recently, he attended the Dreamville Chi-League to play games, via Ballislife:

Horton-Tucker, who looks to have slimmed down in the video, re-signed with the Lakers for at least three more seasons.

The deal, worth $32 million, shows L.A.’s hope he can take a major leap this season based on his recent production.

Horton-Tucker has mentioned working on his 3-point shooting and overall defense to take the next step, and if he can achieve that, the Lakers would have a captivating player in their hands.

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Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker details skills he needs to improve

Here’s where Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker says he wants to improve next season.

The Los Angeles Lakers have seen multiple free agents leave for new teams, but they made it a priority to retain one.

The Lakers retained guard Talen Horton-Tucker on a three-year deal worth $32 million.

The 20-year-old guard broke out during the 2020-21 preseason. He attacked the basket en route to multiple impressive scoring outings.

He gradually broke into Frank Vogel’s rotation during the regular season when injuries began accumulating, but he stood out as one of the few shot creators off the bench, a critical component the Lakers lacked from their reserves.

Now that L.A. has Horton-Tucker secured for at least three more seasons, he detailed two areas of his game he wants to improve, via Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet:

Based on what Horton-Tucker displayed last season, these two elements are a given. Horton-Tucker has the wingspan (7 feet, 1 inch) to be a pesky defender, but he often found himself getting caught ball-watching and making wrong decisions, which often led to easy shots for his opponents.

Then on 3-pointers, he converted on only 28.2% of his 2.0 attempts; both numbers are short of what he produced last season, though the six-game sample size is much smaller than this past season where he featured in 65 regular-season games.

But if Horton-Tucker can assemble the pieces, his potential could be limitless. It’s easy to see why the Lakers brought him back on a sizeable deal for someone his age who still has a long way to go to leave his imprint on the game.

Horton-Tucker has been in several videos showing off his workout routine, so the Lakers must hope the hard work pays off when he steps onto the court.

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Lakers re-sign Talen Horton-Tucker to three-year deal

The Los Angeles Lakers are retaining Talen Horton-Tucker for three more seasons.

The Los Angeles Lakers are continuing their free agency moves by retaining a key player.

After letting Alex Caruso, Ben McLemore and Andre Drummond walk to new teams, the Lakers made the decision to keep Talen Horton-Tucker.

Horton-Tucker, 20, burst onto the scenes during the 2020-21 preseason and showed flashes of a player who could develop into a budding star one day.

He eventually garnered more minutes as the season progressed and was one of the few reserves who could create their own shot, primarily by attacking the basket and finishing contested attempts.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers are keeping Horton-Tucker for three more seasons:

Horton-Tucker still has plenty of room to grow on the defensive side of the ball as well as hit his 3-pointers more consistently, but he’s the best asset the Lakers have, and keeping him should’ve been an easy decision.

Horton-Tucker could make the case to be a starter despite the shooting woes, though he’s expected to take a big leap this season regardless.

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NBA free agency: Projected lineup for Lakers with Russell Westbrook

The Los Angeles Lakers always generate a ton of headlines but this year, that has happened even more as they have added several big names.

The Los Angeles Lakers always generate a ton of headlines, but this year that has happened even more as they have added several big names.

Whether it’s new names like Russell Westbrook or Carmelo Anthony or familiar faces like Trevor Ariza or Dwight Howard returning home, the Lakers are as star-studded as ever. So we wanted to take a look at what their lineup is going to resemble when the season begins.

Note that this depth chart will be inherently incomplete until we know the status of Dennis Schroeder and Talen Horton-Tucker. The Lakers can also spend the $5.9 million taxpayers’ midlevel exception to add more depth, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. They can potentially retain Wesley Matthews and Markieff Morris as well.

We already know that the roster is old – there are five players who are older than 35 years old and eight players over 32 years old – but for now, here is a better idea of what the depth chart looks like in Los Angeles.

Lakers extend qualifying offer to Talen Horton-Tucker, stays as restricted free agent

Talen Horton-Tucker will officially be a restricted free agent as the Los Angeles Lakers extended the qualifying offer.

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially extended the qualifying offer to Talen Horton-Tucker, keeping him a restricted free agent.

Horton-Tucker, 20, is slated to enter the free-agent market in August as his two-year contract will expire.

The Lakers drafted Horton-Tucker with the 46th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, and he broke into the rotation this season with more minutes.

After a strong preseason showing that caught many eyes, Horton-Tucker slowly inserted himself as a backup ball-handling option.

At 6’4″ with a 7’1″ wingspan, Horton-Tucker relentlessly attacked the rim when he had a lane and was one of the few players off the bench who could create his own shot.

Horton-Tucker still has plenty of room to improve, especially regarding his perimeter shooting, off-the-bounce passing and overall defense, but he’s the best young asset the Lakers have, which is why they extended the qualifying offer, via Shams Charania of The Athletic:

The qualifying offer is worth just over $1.8 million. The Lakers can match any offer teams submit for the promising young guard by giving Horton-Tucker the offer. The deadline to extend the offer was July 31.

If the Lakers didn’t extend the offer, Horton-Tucker would’ve become an unrestricted free agent and could sign with any team that submitted an offer.

Free agency begins on Aug. 2, and the Lakers are slated to have over 10 free agents on the roster.

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WATCH: Talen Horton-Tucker, J. Cole working out with Lakers assistant Phil Handy

Check out Talen Horton-Tucker and J. Cole working out on the court with Los Angeles Lakers assistant Phil Handy.

The Los Angeles Lakers entered the offseason early after losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, which gave players more time to focus on other matters.

The Lakers had around only 70 days of rest last offseason, so the players would have significantly more time to relax their bodies this time around to prepare for next season.

However, for players like Talen Horton-Tucker, he’s been grinding it out for weeks since the Lakers were eliminated.

Horton-Tucker is entering free agency as a restricted free agent this summer because his rookie contract is coming to an end. The Lakers can match any offer that teams submit for him, but L.A. must operate with caution if potential offers do come Horton-Tucker’s way.

The second-round pick in 2019 had a breakout campaign with the Lakers because he inserted himself as a possible rotational player going forward. He also showed the ability to create his own shot off the bounce, which was a trait many reserves in L.A. didn’t have.

As Horton-Tucker prepares for next season, he’s been seen in various videos working out on his body and with trainers on developing aspects of his game.

Recently, Horton-Tucker was in a video working out on the basketball court with recording artist J. Cole and Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy, via Handy’s Twitter:

Horton-Tucker’s work ethic and commitment to evolving his game have been on full display this offseason. Only time will tell if those improvements will be with the Lakers or another NBA team.

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Eastern Conference executive would offer Talen Horton-Tucker max contract in free agency

Talen Horton-Tucker’s stock is colossal in the eyes of an Eastern Conference executive who reportedly would offer him a max contract.

The 2020-21 season didn’t end the way the Los Angeles Lakers had envisioned after a first-round playoff exit, but there were some silver linings to take away.

One of those was the play of Talen Horton-Tucker, who showed he could belong in the rotation going forward.

After a strong preseason where Horton-Tucker put all of his skills on display, he gradually earned more minutes with his potential and when injuries began accumulating.

Horton-Tucker posted career-high numbers all across the board in his second season in the NBA after the Lakers drafted him in the second round two years ago.

He was one of the few Lakers who could create their own shot, primarily by churning downhill and attacking the basket. While there’s still plenty of potential for Horton-Tucker to tap into, especially from 3-point range and off-ball defense, his stock has soared in the eyes of an NBA executive.

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Horton-Tucker could have a large sum of money coming his way since he’ll be a restricted free agent this summer:

At 20, he’s only a year or two older than some of the top prospects—Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and Jalen Suggs—in July’s NBA draft. “I’d max him out,” an Eastern Conference executive said. Horton-Tucker can earn up to roughly $83 million over the next four years, but only if a team has the cap room to give him an Arenas rule offer sheet as a restricted free agent. (The cited executive does not have the necessary cap space to make that max offer.)

The context of this is who the Lakers could include in a possible trade for Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who might be available via trade if he’s disgruntled with his current situation.

The Lakers don’t have the most attractive assets to offer Portland for a player of Lillard’s magnitude, but Horton-Tucker is one of the team’s most prized assets. However, it could be difficult to retain him if he receives offers like this.

Horton-Tucker’s value shouldn’t be that high since he hasn’t fully proven himself yet, but if a rebuilding team feels confident in his development to be a star player, Horton-Tucker could be donning a new uniform next season.

The Lakers could be squeezed out by another team if so, and re-signing him would be unlikely considering L.A. has other free agents to retain and sign with limited financial flexibility.

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Lakers news: Talen Horton-Tucker hasn’t thought about free agency plans this offseason

Los Angeles Lakers guard Talen Horton-Tucker detailed his situation as he enters the free-agent market this offseason.

Talen Horton-Tucker had a breakout season with the Los Angeles Lakers in his second year with the franchise.

He didn’t stuff the stat sheet in a ridiculous way, but entering the season, Horton-Tucker didn’t have many expectations of being a key contributor to the rotation.

But after an impressive display in the preseason, Horton-Tucker’s stock soared, leading him to play 20.1 minutes per game in the 65 games he featured in on the year — though injuries also contributed to the increase in minutes.

For comparison’s sake, the 20-year-old guard played 13.5 minutes a game but in only six appearances.

In those minutes this season, he averaged 9.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 45.8 percent overall and 28.2 percent from 3-point range.

Horton-Tucker showed flashes of a propitious on-ball creator — someone who could create his own shot, primarily when attacking the basket. He eventually demonstrated the ability to drive and kick the ball out to shooters roaming the perimeter as the season progressed.

He still has plenty of room to develop, chiefly on 3-pointers and off-ball defense, but he displayed enough potential to warrant more minutes in the future.

However, Horton-Tucker’s future with the franchise is murky. He’s slated to be a free agent this summer. If the Lakers offer him the eligible qualifying offer, he’d become a restricted free agent. If they rescind that qualifying offer, he’ll be unrestricted and can sign wherever he chooses, though there’s little reason to believe L.A. will allow him to walk for nothing.

But as for Horton-Tucker’s personal thoughts on entering the market, he said he hasn’t pondered over it too much, via Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation:

As aforementioned, Horton-Tucker is under Klutch Sports Group, led by Rich Paul. Several members of the Lakers — LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Ben McLemore — are under Klutch, so it’ll be interesting to see how this situation transpires.

The Lakers are vying for another championship run next season as it hopes to get fully healthy before next season tips off, and Horton-Tucker could be a key component to those aspirations.

Los Angeles’ bench lacked creativity and a reliable scoring punch when it mattered most against the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, and head coach Frank Vogel utilized Horton-Tucker when the Lakers needed points.

The Lakers drafted Horton-Tucker with the 46th overall pick in the 2019 draft, so the front office could look to keep a player they have developed within their own system.

The free agency period begins on Aug. 2.

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Report: Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker potential targets for Cavaliers in free agency

The Cleveland Cavaliers could aim to sign Alex Caruso or Talen Horton-Tucker in free agency this summer.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a busy offseason this summer, especially regarding free agency.

Los Angeles is slated to have over 10 free agents when the market opens on Aug. 2, and Montrezl Harrell might join the extensive list if he opts out of his $9.7 million player option.

Tough decisions will have to be made for certain players since L.A. doesn’t have much cap space to sign players.

That could open the door for other teams to sign players who last played for the Lakers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers could be one of those teams.

According to Chris Fedor, Cavaliers beat writer for cleveland.com, guards Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker are on the watch list for Cleveland:

“Any potential free agency list should start with Indiana’s T.J. McConnell and Los Angeles pest Alex Caruso. Both are Cavs targets. Both fit really well. Some prefer Caruso. He’s younger, bigger, stronger and can guard multiple spots. Others like McConnell more. Even though he doesn’t shoot many 3s, he’s more polished, capable of filling in as starter, puts pressure on the rim and was the league’s total steals leader.

Talen Horton-Tucker is another name to watch — although he will be a restricted free agent if the Lakers make a qualifying offer. Restricted free agency is tricky.”

Caruso will be an unrestricted free agent this summer as his two-year, $5.5 million deal expired. He recently discussed the possibility of returning to the Lakers, but he’ll take his time on the matter.

For Horton-Tucker, the two-year deal he signed as a rookie is also expiring. If the Lakers offer him the qualifying offer worth $1.8 million, he’ll be a restricted free agent and L.A. can match any offer that comes his way.

But if Los Angeles opts to rescind the qualifying offer, which is unlikely given the potential he displayed this season, then he would be an unrestricted free agent.

Both players had vital roles with the team this season. Caruso developed into a reliable two-way player that head coach Frank Vogel trusted to close out games.

Horton-Tucker was one of the few players off the bench that could create his own shot. He appeared in 65 regular-season games this season and averaged 20.1 minutes after playing in 13 games for 13.5 minutes as a rookie.

The Cavaliers don’t have reliable backups behind Collin Sexton and Darius Garland, so Caruso and Horton-Tucker make sense from a talent and financial standpoint.

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