The Los Angeles Lakers announced on Friday that they had agreed to send Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz in exchange for veteran guard Patrick Beverley.
It marked the first major move to surface in the aftermath of the resolution of the Kevin Durant saga in Brooklyn after the 12-time All-Star rescinded his highly-publicised trade request at a meeting with front office brass in Los Angeles.
The Lakers, who had been keeping tabs on the Durant situation in hopes of putting together a package for Kyrie Irving, were forced to shift their focus towards other avenues of roster improvement.
It is believed that the two-year, $97.1 million contract extension that LeBron James inked with the Lakers almost two weeks ago came under the proviso that the front office would prioritise win-now roster moves over more long-term planning, particularly with regard to the availability of future draft capital.
The acquisition of Beverley at the expense of Horton-Tucker and Johnson signals a concerted effort from the front office to prioritise players who can contribute immediately over works in progress.
Beverley, 34, offers the Lakers dogged defensive intensity at the point of attack, steady three-point shooting and floor spacing upside, and secondary playmaking talent to pair alongside James.
Beverley helped Minnesota this past season qualify for the postseason for just the second time in 18 seasons, starting in 54 games and averaging 9.2 ppg and 4.6 apg.
Horton-Tucker, meanwhile, had a subpar year in Los Angeles whilst Johnson offered the Lakers some sought after energy and hustle on the defensive end when he was signed in December but was limited by a lack of offensive upside.
The Lakers traded for Horton-Tucker on draft night in 2019 and used him sparingly throughout their championship run.
His role increased exponentially across the following two seasons but an inability to make shots and find ways to be effective off-ball made for a tricky fit.
Over the past two seasons, Horton-Tucker hit on just 86 of his 313 three-point attempts or 27.5% which made him virtually unplayable in most lineups.
At just 21, however, he has exhibited flashes that Utah will hope develop in genuine production; he has showcased an elite driving ability which has been offset by his awful finishing numbers, defensive upside which is assisted by his 7’ 1” wingspan, and playmaking nous best explored in spacious offensive systems.
A path towards improvement certainly exists for Horton-Tucker but what he needed from the Lakers and what the Lakers needed from him were two vastly different realities; a higher usage rate on a team drawing less eyeballs may be exactly what he needs to flourish.
The Lakers attention will now firmly shift towards navigating Russell Westbrook’s trade market and scouring for a deal that helps the team from the outset.
Plenty has been made of their unwillingness to attach their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks – their only tradeable future firsts – in potential Westbrook deals.
The list of viable trade partners, however, appears limited even if they were to dangle both picks.
Whispers of a deal centred around Indiana Pacers’ pieces Myles Turner and Buddy Hield have been around for some time now, however, the Lakers appear hesitant to attach both future firsts.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka had a deal in place to acquire Hield twelve months ago when he was a Sacramento King but instead shifted his focus to Westbrook at the eleventh hour.
The Utah Jazz and New York Knicks may prove influential in any potential Westbrook deal with All-Star Donovan Mitchell’s future still uncertain.
It is no secret that the Jazz and Knicks have been engaged on a potential Mitchell deal for some time, however, it seems an impasse has been reached with the Knicks today agreeing to sign guard R.J. Barrett to a four-year, $120 million extension which all but eliminates him from trade discussions.
It may take a third of fourth team to re-ignite those conversations between Utah and New York with both Indiana and Los Angeles floated as potential suitors.
Bojan Bogdanović, Evan Fournier, Malik Beasley and Cam Reddish are among the names that the Lakers could pursue if a multi-team trade was to materialise.
If a Westbrook trade does not emerge, first-year head coach Darvin Ham appears focused on carving out a role for him despite rumours that the Lakers may consider sitting him.
If a Westbrook trade does emerge, however, expect a buyout to soon follow which would allow the veteran freedom over his destination.
All parties would prefer a resolution to be struck some time in the near future and certainly before players return to their teams for training camp, however, these things often take time.
Either way, the Lakers as presently constructed are unlikely to improve an awful lot on last season’s disaster which makes the next six weeks wildly important from a roster improvement standpoint.
