Former LA Lakers 'Untouchable' Ready to Head Overseas as Free Agent

Only four years after the LA Lakers considered him 'untouchable' on the trade market, the now 24-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker is on the verge of taking his talents to Europe. No NBA offers appear to be forthcoming this summer.

Donatas Urbonis of BasketNews reports that THT has a deal in order with a famed Turkish team.

Talen Horton-Tucker is in the final stages of committing to his first European move, with a deal close to being finalized with EuroLeague champions Fenerbahce Istanbul, per BasketNews sources.

First, Horton-Tucker is giving it a few last hours to see if any NBA team comes to the rescue to keep him in North America for the coming season. But it seems unlikely, and officially signing with Fenerbahce Istanbul, one of the top EuroLeague clubs—fresh off winning the 2025 EuroLeague title—will be his next move.

It was at the trade deadline in 2021 that the Toronto Raptors had been looking at Talen Horton-Tucker in a trade that would have sent Kyle Lowry to the Lakers. LA was in dire need of a true point guard in their eventual failed attempt to defend their 2020 NBA title. The Lakers, though, deemed Horton-Tucker untouchable, per The Athletic's Shams Charania, and there was no deal. That's just one of the decisions the Lakers would like to have back.

At the time, THT, a second-round pick in 2019, was in his second NBA season, averaging 9.0 points, 2.6 boards and 2.8 assists in 20 minutes of play per night. But the Lakers were intent on making him a core piece, and signed him that summer to a three-year, $30 million extension.

He only made it through one more season in LA, before they dealt him to the Utah Jazz. He spent last season with the Chicago Bulls, where he averaged just 6.5 points in 12.5 minutes a game.

In a total of 305 NBA contests, Horton-Tucker has averaged 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.