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

Loading...