The Los Angeles Lakers have been looking to make upgrades to their roster pretty much since the season began if the rumors are to be believed. The experiment with Russell Westbrook doesn’t quite seem to have worked and their veteran role players have also struggled to have too much of an impact during the season.
One of the bigger disappointments though has been 21-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker, from whom the Lakers had great expectations. Instead, his increase in minutes this season has seen absolutely no improvement in his stats, which has been a major cause of concern for Los Angeles. The lack of quality around LeBron James and Anthony Davis has hampered the Lakers’ season and according to Brian Robb of Masslive.com, they could be trading THT in a deal to acquire Josh Richardson.
“A new intriguing suitor for Richardson though is the Lakers, given their collection of assets. The team has been shopping a package of Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and a future first-round pick now for several weeks in hopes of landing an impact veteran and sources tell MassLive that Horton-Tucker and a future pick has been offered for Richardson. That type of package could entice Boston if they are believers in Horton-Tucker’s upside.”
The Lakers aren’t the only team interested in Richardson as per the report, with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves also named as prospective suitors for the Celtics man.
“The Jazz and Timberwolves have been connected to Richardson for an extended stretch but situations have changed with both squads in recent days. Swingman Joe Ingles suffered a torn ACL for Utah, which has made finding an upgrade at the position for a team intent on contending a bigger need in recent days. The Timberwolves’ rise in the standings and excess depth make them a candidate for adding a win-now veteran like Richardson.”
Following a disappointing stint with the Mavs, Richardson was moved on to Boston, where he has been quite useful in reduced minutes. His field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage have both improved since last season, and he is making threes at a higher percentage than at any other point in his career except his rookie season. Richardson could be a necessary addition for the Lakers, who are struggling to reach a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
