Lakers Rumors: Latest Buzz on Anthony Davis Contract, Talen Horton-Tucker's Role

The Los Angeles Lakers' roster for the 2020-21 season is beginning to take shape. And while there are likely still moves to come, there's now a much better indication of what this team is going to look like than before last Friday when the free-agency negotiation period began.

Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol and Wesley Matthews have signed with the Lakers through free agency. Dennis Schroder, Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie were acquired in trades. And Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Markieff Morris re-signed with the team.

Obviously, the biggest remaining task for Los Angeles is to work out a new deal with star forward Anthony Davis, who is currently an unrestricted free agent. However, it's been heavily expected that he'll re-sign with the team, but it may take some time for him to negotiate his new contract.

Here's some of the latest buzz surrounding the Lakers at this point in the offseason.

Is Davis Waiting to See What Giannis Does?

Many teams are waiting to see whether two-time defending NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to sign a supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. If he doesn't, then he'll be the best player available on the free-agent market after the 2020-21 season, and there are going to be a lot of teams trying to sign him.

Could one of these teams potentially be the Lakers? At first thought, it seems unlikely. But perhaps there's a chance.

That is, if Davis' upcoming new deal leaves Los Angeles some flexibility moving forward. ESPN's Brian Windhorst discussed the possibility of how this could all unfold during a recent appearance on SportsCenter.

"If Giannis elects to sign the extension, then we could see AD potentially sign for longer," Windhorst said on the show. "But if Giannis sets himself up to be a free agent next year, I know it seems hard to believe that the Lakers could do it, but that might spur Anthony Davis to only sign a one-year contract with a player option, which is the kind of deal that LeBron James is on, to leave flexibility in Lakers payroll."

There have been some impressive superteams in the NBA in the past. But if James, Davis and Antetokounmpo ended up on the same roster, it would likely be the greatest collection of talent on the same team during this era in NBA history.

Whether Davis signs a short- or long-term contract, he's likely to be heading back to Los Angeles after winning an NBA title in his first season with the Lakers. He averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 62 games in his first year in purple and gold.

If Los Angeles finds a way to somehow sign Antetokounmpo, it will likely remain a top championship contender for years to come.

Horton-Tucker Poised for Bigger Role in 2020-21

Kim Klement/Associated Press

The Lakers have brought in a lot of talent this offseason. But they also have a young player who was already on their roster who could be poised for a larger role in 2020-21.

Shooting guard Talen Horton-Tucker is entering his second NBA season. And during a recent appearance on the Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne said she's heard that Horton-Tucker is going to "play a lot" for Los Angeles during the upcoming season.

ESPN's Tim Bontemps also shared positive things he's heard about Horton-Tucker.

"He's a guy that a couple of executives that I trust really liked in the draft," Bontemps said on the podcast (h/t Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype). "[He's] an intriguing player. He definitely could settle into a role for them on the wing as a long, athletic guy that can guard some people. No question."

Horton-Tucker played one season at Iowa State before getting selected in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft. In his rookie season for the Lakers, he played in only six regular-season games, averaging 5.7 points per contest. He also played in two playoff games, scoring 14 total points.

Horton-Tucker spent most of the season with the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League, averaging 18.1 points and 6.2 rebounds in 38 games.

If the 20-year-old Horton-Tucker plays well in an expanded role next season, he'd give the Lakers another option off the bench who could serve in a key role for the team.