The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that has made a lot of moves this offseason, signing a variety of young athletic role players to fill their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It is clear that the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to be more of a defensive-minded and athletic team. The defense was a huge issue for the team last season, and perhaps it’ll be better next year. They have recently been some rumors that have connected Patrick Beverley to the Lakers, and he would certainly be a great addition to the team. However, it seems as though the Lakers are not trying to exchange Talen Horton-Tucker for Patrick Beverley. NBA insider Marc Stein relayed the news.
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.
There is no doubt that Talen Horton-Tucker is a player that is athletic, and he has shown great slashing ability in the past. Horton-Tucker still has some untapped potential, and perhaps we could see him develop into a quality starting guard in the future.
The Los Angeles Lakers should be a different team next season: Darvin Ham should bring a new coaching philosophy, and hopefully, the offseason additions end up paying off for the team. It remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Lakers end up getting back to the playoffs, but if LeBron James and Anthony Davis manage to stay healthy, then they should be a solid team.
