NBA Trades: 3 Talen Horton-Tucker trades to help the Lakers – San Antonio Spurs
Spurs receive: Talen Horton-Tucker, DeAndre Jordan, 2023 Second-Round pick
Lakers receive: Thaddeus Young
At this point, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Los Angeles Lakers won’t be getting a star in return for Talen Horton-Tucker. This trade would still help them a ton, though.
Los Angeles’ center position has been terrible this season. Thaddeus Young is certainly a small-ball center, but he would be a clear and immediate upgrade over their current rotation.
Young hasn’t played much for the San Antonio Spurs this year, and he’s been vocal about not being happy about that. A trade to the Lakers would give him an immediate uptick in playing time.
He could instantly be the Lakers’ starting center, providing some floor-spacing and great defensive versatility. That’s exactly what the Lakers should be looking to acquire.
For the Spurs, any trade to get rid of Young would probably be a win. He’s not playing for them as they try to go in a younger direction this season.
Adding a young, raw talent like Talen Horton-Tucker would only add to their pool of youth. He would almost certainly have more freedom in San Antonio.
DeAndre Jordan would only be included to make the money work, and the Spurs would also get a second. This is a win-win trade for both teams involved.