Lakers’ Talen Horton-Tucker goes No. 8 overall in 2019 NBA re-draft
The Los Angeles Lakers found a gem, Talen Horton-Tucker, in the 2019 NBA draft.
Los Angeles brought in Horton-Tucker in the second round with the 46th pick after acquiring the selection from the Orlando Magic for a 2020 second-round pick and cash.
Horton-Tucker’s physical tools made him stand out as a combo guard, and his success started to kick in during his sophomore season. He had a breakout preseason and made a name for himself after appearing in limited minutes during the playoffs in the Orlando bubble.
As injuries multiplied in 2020-21, Horton-Tucker received more playing time, and he took advantage by showcasing his rim-pressuring and finishing skills.
He finished the year averaging 9.0 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game, solidifying his place on the roster for at least the next three seasons on a deal that’ll see him earn over $30 million.
As for where Horton-Tucker stands in the mix of the talent drafted in 2019, Bleacher Report did a re-draft of that year and had the 6-foot-4 guard going No. 8 overall:
To non-Los Angeles Lakers fans, this placement for Talen Horton-Tucker might feel aggressive. After all, THT has played only 1,385 NBA minutes and has a below-average career BPM. His career 28.5 3-point percentage is concerning, too.
But in today’s increasingly positionless NBA, the 20-year-old’s slashing and passing give him star potential.
For his career, Horton-Tucker has averaged 16.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.1 threes per 75 possessions. LaMelo Ball is the only player in league history to match or exceed all those marks through an age-20 season.
If THT backed up those wide-ranging contributions with an average 3-point percentage, he would be even higher up this list.
The 6’4″ Horton-Tucker may be undersized in matchups against certain forwards or wings, but high-end athleticism, his 234-pound frame and his 7’1″ wingspan generally make up for that. In fact, given his physical tools and strong steal rate, his defensive profile might be even higher than that of his offense.
The Lakers are expecting Horton-Tucker to take another leap this season based on his production from last year, though there are plenty of guards he’ll have to compete with to earn minutes.
But to see the young guard go in the lottery after being a second-round pick illustrates the adeptness of the Lakers’ scouting department, which typically excels in finding diamonds in the rough outside of the lottery.
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