As the trade deadline nears, the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office will squirm to find a trade partner for a package centered around Talen Horton-Tucker and a first round pick that won’t convey until 2027 and possibly an injured backup point guard in Kendrick Nunn.
A package involving all three trade assets would net a player making around $13.5 million for salary-matching’s sake. However, no team in the NBA views these three assets as valuable. Especially not as valuable as the kind of impact player the Lakers need to save their season.
Lakers’ Only Chance at a Trade Involves Horton-Tucker
Copyright: 2021 NBAE
Last summer, the Lakers traded three of their best role players in Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in a deal for Russell Westbrook. With it, they lost any chance at cap flexibility in the 2021-22 season. Instead of having three tradeable contracts with Harrell, Kuzma, and KCP, they opted for one bloated cap figure with Russell Westbrook making $44 million per year.
At the time, it was a questionable move with Westbrook was clearly being overpaid. The Lakers had to include all three role players just to match the $44 million on Westbrook’s contract, and many wondered if they could’ve gone for a cheaper player, possibly keeping one or two of their role players being traded away.
The Lakers’ salary sheet now features three max contracts (Westbrook’s $44 million, LeBron James’ $41 million, and Anthony Davis‘ $35 million). Los Angeles won’t trade James or Davis, and because Westbrook makes so much money and is playing poorly, no team would be willing to take him on in a trade.
The only two players left on the roster that aren’t on one-year minimum deals or two-way contracts are Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn. Additionally, Nunn has not played a single game this season for the Lakers, sidelined with a knee injury since May 15th, 2021.
With the Lakers already over the salary cap, a deal will not happen unless it is centered around Talen Horton-Tucker and his $9.5 million contract.
What Can L.A. Even Get Back in a Trade?
Would teams even want an injured Kendrick Nunn? Do other front offices see Horton-Tucker as a $9.5 million player? Are the Lakers willing to part ways with their 2027 first round pick?
My guess is a very tentative no. There are teams that could talk themselves into seeing this package as valuable. However, there is no team that would part ways with a high-impact player of the pedigree the Lakers need to turn their season around.
Combining Horton-Tucker and Nunn in a trade package would yield salary-matching ability of up to $13.5 million. The most attractive players within this range include Derrick Rose ($13.4m), Brook Lopez ($13.3m), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (ironically, $13m), and Robert Covington ($12.9m).
If a team doesn’t like Kendrick Nunn, prospects are even worse. Tradeable contracts around the league that are under Horton-Tucker’s $9.5 million start out at Mason Plumlee ($9.2m), Maxi Kleber ($8.8m), and Royce O’Neale ($8.8m).
Not exactly the season-altering player they were hoping for. Unfortunately, there is no miracle move the Lakers can make before the trade deadline. And any move they can make will be for a mediocre role player, and not that last piece on a championship team.
Lakers’ trade rumors have been almost exclusively mock trades including Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, and their 2027 first round pick. But any meaningful player coming to LA in a deal may be just the same as the Lakers’ title hopes this season: a fantasy.
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