The dog days of the NBA are here. Teams are done with their offseason moves, and other than a few restricted free agents still out there, not much is expected until training camps begin in September.
This doesn't mean, however, that there aren't players who remain unsigned in free agency. There are plenty of faces familiar to Los Angeles Lakers fans who are still available. Some of those will head overseas to sign new deals after failing to find new NBA homes this summer. That list includes once-promising former Laker, Talen Horton-Tucker.
Former Lakers G Talen Horton-Tucker May Have to Leave the NBA
Horton-Tucker entered the league as a second-round selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. He was seldom used as a rookie by the Lakers but won a ring with the team in his first year. Over the next two seasons, he established himself as a valuable role player. This earned him a three-year, $31 million extension with the Lakers, and he was even deemed untouchable in trade conversations. In fact, he was intentionally kept out of the Russell Westbrook trade, even when pretty much every other rotation player for the Lakers was a part of the deal.
Unfortunately for Horton-Tucker, however, things have not worked out for him since then. He was traded to the Utah Jazz as part of a deal that brought Patrick Beverley to Los Angeles. After two seasons in Utah, he finished last season with the Chicago Bulls. His playing time consistently declined over the last several years until he essentially fell out of the rotation in Chicago.
The biggest obstacle for Horton-Tucker is his lack of shooting. As a 6'4" guard, his inability to be a threat behind the three-point line is a serious problem. In addition to being a career 30% three-point shooter, the 24-year-old struggles with scoring efficiency, only hitting league-average True Shooting% once in his career.
There is not much room for on-ball perimeter players who don't drive efficient offense in the NBA. This explains the lack of interest in the former Laker. He will almost certainly have to settle for a G League or an overseas deal for next season before he can prove his worth and attempt an NBA comeback.