Lakers Trade Rumors: Teams Not 'Biting Yet' on Future 1st, Nunn and Horton-Tucker
January 25, 2022
As the Los Angeles Lakers search for ways to improve amid a disappointing start this season, they are reportedly not finding much interest from teams with what they have to offer in trade talks at the moment.
Per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, teams are "not biting yet" on the Lakers' offer of Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker and a future first-round pick.
While it's unclear how many teams the Lakers have called with that specific offer, NBA journalist Marc Stein reported last week on his Substack that the Detroit Pistons are one of them.
According to Stein, the Lakers proposed Nunn, Horton-Tucker and a 2027 first-round pick to the Pistons in exchange for Jerami Grant.
O'Connor noted one issue for the Lakers in trade talks is Horton-Tucker "just isn’t valued highly enough" by teams around the NBA.
Los Angeles made a bet on Horton-Tucker turning his raw potential into performance on the court. He signed a three-year, $32 million contract as a restricted free agent last summer.
The 21-year-old is averaging career highs in scoring (10.5 points per game) and rebounding (3.5 per game) this season, but he's only shooting 41.5 percent overall and 25.3 percent from three-point range.
Nunn has yet to appear in a game this season due to a knee injury he suffered during the preseason. Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters last week that Nunn had a setback in his rehab. There is still no timetable for his return.
Despite not finding any takers yet, there's still time for the Lakers front office to wait things out. It's certainly possible teams are just waiting to see if offers get better as we get closer to the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
For now, though, the Lakers will look to turn things around after losing five of their past seven games heading into Tuesday's matchup with the Brooklyn Nets. They are currently No. 8 in the Western Conference with a 23-24 record.