This past season was an extremely difficult one for the Los Angeles Lakers. While the team had a tremendous start to the season, things quickly went downhill as both Anthony Davis and LeBron James faced injuries near the playoffs. While the team eventually made it to the playoffs, the Lakers were still forced into the seventh seed in the Western Conference, and the Phoenix Suns proved to be too strong of a first-round matchup.
Since that time, LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been working hard to get healthy, and it seems as though they will be right on track to start the next season. In the meantime, the Lakers are looking to make some big moves, and today, they made their first offer of the offseason.
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According to Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints, Talen Horton-Tucker has just been given his qualifying offer from the Lakers. This means the 20-year-old is now a restricted free agent who can negotiate with other teams. At this juncture, the Lakers can offer him the best deal over the next two years, however, a team can theoretically swoop in and offer him a deal that would be worth more than $10 million per year in years 3 and 4.
There is no telling whether or not this will happen, however, the Lakers would certainly like to hold onto their young star at a smaller cost. THT is a player with a ton of potential and if he gets more minutes this season, we could very well see him elevate his game.