In 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 17th championship in franchise history in the NBA Bubble, tying their arch-rivals in the Boston Celtics for the most in NBA history.
In their efforts to repeat as champions, last season ended in disappointment, as the Lakers battled numerous injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Having a long offseason to recuperate and mentally get everything right after going from the NBA Bubble into a whole new season, many expected Los Angeles to bounce back in a big way this season.
Not only did the Lakers have plenty of time to rest up in the offseason, but they also made a huge move to trade for Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards, pairing the “Triple-Double Kings” with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis in search of championship No. 18.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Malik Monk Gets Brutally Honest About Lakers Future
On draft night, the Lakers had a deal in place to send Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and others to the Sacramento Kings for sharpshooter Buddy Hield, but they quickly turned their attention to Russell Westbrook and got a deal done after LeBron James and Anthony Davis pushed GM Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front-office to acquire Westbrook.
Looking back on the offseason, the Lakers’ front-office is probably kicking themselves for not going with their gut and instead of listening to their two All-Star leaders because Los Angeles is just 27-31 on the season and they are not only in danger of missing the playoffs this season, but entering what could be a long and painful rebuilding process.
Not only is Russell Westbrook’s future with the team looking bleak, but Talen Horton-Tucker’s future in Los Angeles is also in question. Not only did the Lakers explore trade opportunities for Horton-Tucker at the trade deadline, but his value has decreased tremendously from the start of the season when the Lakers gave him a three-year, $30.7 million deal.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Malik Monk Gets Brutally Honest About Lakers Future
Cap space and roster depth is becoming a huge problem for the Lakers and while they may not be able to find a trade partner for Russell Westbrook in the upcoming offseason, the idea of trading Talen Horton-Tucker remains a top priority of the Lakers’ front-office.
Who they can target and what teams will be interested in Talen Horton-Tucker remain a mystery, but the Lakers could be interested in one of these three players.
