San Antonio Spurs Receive: F Talen Horton-Tucker, F Stanley Johnson
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Doug McDermott
Charting a future course for the San Antonio Spurs has become a difficult task over the last few years. After a two-decade run of fluctuating between good and dominant, they find themselves stuck on the dreaded mediocrity treadmill.
At 34-48, they did qualify for this season’s play-in tournament. If they advance to the (real) playoffs, they may look to build on that momentum. Point guard Dejounte Murray has looked like a superstar this season. The Spurs could look to add impact veterans to bolster the young Murray’s attack.
On the other hand, finishing 34-48 to snag the last place in the play-in tournament is not the stuff of legend. If the Spurs opted to operate as a rebuilding team this offseason, there would be logic in that. This trade works for them under that pretense.
Horton-Tucker may be coming off a disappointing season, but he still has upside. Some Los Angeles Lakers fans would inevitably argue that we’re selling his value short here. We’d beg to differ.
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He’s going to have to make a tremendous improvement on his career 27.6% three-point accuracy to be an impact player in this league. He has physical tools, but they’re not enough to compensate for that horrid figure.
It’s one the Los Angeles Lakers should be happy to shed in exchange for Doug McDermott. He’s a career 40.9% shooter from long range.
