Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal

Malik Beasley may be a quality floor-spacer, but he’s unlikely to fetch an unprotected first-round pick on the open market on his own.

At this point, Beasley appears to be a one-trick pony. He’s a floor-spacer, but he isn’t much else. Contending teams will covet him, but an unprotected first-rounder may be too steep an investment.

With that said, a lightly protected pick should be in play. That’s what the Utah Jazz are receiving here. In all likelihood, this trade’s appeal for them will rest on their assessment of Talen Horton-Tucker.

In fairness, Horton-Tucker has been largely disappointing in the NBA so far. With that said, he’s also been in a suboptimal environment. The Los Angeles Lakers need floor-spacing, and that’s an obvious weakness in his game. If he landed on a rebuilding Jazz, they’d be an ideal team to allow him to focus on his strengths.

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With that opportunity, Horton-Tucker may finally be able to put his massive wingspan to good use. Can the Lakers stomach the possibility of watching him flourish elsewhere?