Previously
No. 14: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
No. 7: Talen Horton-Tucker
Experience: Rookie
Position: Wing
Height/Weight: 6-4, 233 lb
How He Got Here: Acquired via draft trade by the Lakers with the Orlando Magic for the 46th pick in the 2019 draft.
2018-19 Stats (Iowa State): 35 games, 34 starts, 11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 STL, 0.7 BLK, 40.6% FG, 30.8% 3PT, 47% effective field goal percentage.
2019-20 Outlook: Even before he suffered an injury that would keep him out for the majority of his first NBA training camp, the outlook for the lone rookie on the Lakers projected 15-man roster looked appeared to be headed for the South Bay Lakers of the G League.
Horton-Tucker, even if he was healthy, projects to be a redundancy on this current Lakers team. He didn’t show to be a particularly great shooter or scorer in college with Iowa State, but he did show some solid defensive prowess.
At 6-4, has a massive wingspan to go with it of 7-1.25, giving him the ability to defend bigger players even though he’s the height of the average guard. For much of his lone season at Iowa State, Horton-Tucker played the power forward spot and helped spread the floor for a skilled team in the Big 12.
What the Lakers organization is likely hoping is that Horton-Tucker continues to affect the game in multiple ways, rebounding the ball well for his size and being a great defender, while improving a 3-point shot that registered below 31 percent in college.
As a young player, the biggest reason Horton-Tucker was drafted is because of his versatility. But the next step in his development is making sure opposing teams can’t just leave him open if he’s going to earn a spot in the Lakers rotation in the next couple of seasons.
