The Los Angeles Lakers made their first trade of the 2022 NBA offseason this week, completing a deal with the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles acquired point guard Patrick Beverley in exchange for forwards Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.

It was a trade that some people were surprised to see materialize because of the high regard that the organization held Horton-Tucker. Ahead of the 2021 trade deadline, when they were in discussions with the Toronto Raptors for Kyle Lowry, they would not include Horton-Tucker in those negotiations.

He signed a three-year deal as a restricted free agent during the 2021 offseason, choosing him over fellow free agent Alex Caruso. Just over a year, he is now being sent to the Jazz for what could very well be one season of Beverley.

While the Lakers had high hopes for the Iowa State product, he did not step up as much as they had hoped when he was given more opportunities last season. His efficiency dropped again and some of his struggles, according to a scout, can be placed on how the coaching staff used him.

With the Jazz heading toward a rebuild, Horton-Tucker should be afforded the chance to have the ball in his hands more and play to his strengths. But, there was another reason that he struggled with the Lakers according to Kevin O’Connor and Chris Vernon of The Ringer on their podcast The Mismatch.

“At one point when I talked to some people connected to Talen Horton-Tucker, he was kind of on an island. He’s like the only young guy, like he didn’t have buddies to go run around with or whatever. This is an old team with a bunch of veteran guys and like he didn’t have a bunch of friends.”

That could certainly have played a part in Horton-Tucker never fully getting comfortable with the Los Angeles Lakers. Last offseason their focus was on bringing in veterans to help the team contend for a title and they traded away their youngest players in Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell for Russell Westbrook.

This offseason they changed their approach, signing young players in free agency. While Horton-Tucker won’t be able to take advantage of that, he will have plenty of younger teammates to build relationships with on the Jazz.

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