Lakers Rumors: LA Not Exploring Talen Horton-Tucker for Patrick Beverley Trade
In a shocking development this week, there was actually a Lakers trade rumor or two that didn't involve Nets guard Kyrie Irving (gasp). The Lakers desire to acquire Pacers guard Buddy Hield is no secret, but Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report linked the Lakers as a potential team that could be interested in acquiring veteran guard Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz.
Adding the two-time All-NBA Defensive team guard is an intriguing proposition for the Lakers. Beverley is definitely a defensive upgrade over LA's current crop of guards, which includes Beverley's nemesis Russell Westbrook, but Marc Stein of Stubstack reported on Friday that the Lakers making a trade for Beverley isn't likely.
"While they continue to register the league's only tangible trade interest in Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving, it's likewise true that the Lakers have prioritized adding speed, youth and athleticism to the roster. As such, according to one source familiar with the team's thinking, there is no push forthcoming from the Lakers' side to swap Talen Horton-Tucker (as rumored) for Patrick Beverley, who ranks as one of Utah's very available veterans alongside Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanović and Jordan Clarkson."
Time and time again, Talen Horton-Tucker's name appears in trade rumors. The guard's $10.3M salary is a somewhat valuable trade ballast, but he's struggled to live up to the contract.
Last season, Horton-Tucker shot just 26.9% from three and 41.6% from the field. He averaged an inefficient 10 points per game. Horton-Tucker has a $11M player-option for next year and barring a miraculous turnaround this coming season, he's not likely to fetch nearly that much in free agency.
For now, it appears that there's little chance of the Lakers moving Horton-Tucker for Beverley.
