The Utah Jazz finally made a deal after months of waiting, although it wasn’t the blockbuster we all expected. Instead of dealing Donovan Mitchell, the Jazz made a small move, sending newly acquired Patrick Beverly to the Lakers for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson.
Horton-Tucker is a slightly overhyped 21-year-old who played valuable minutes for the Lakers at shooting guard during their disappointing season. He was seemingly a franchise cornerstone moving forward, but the Lakers opted to win now instead, trading for Beverly, a defensive-minded veteran.
Stanley Johnson was the eighth overall pick in 2015, but he has played for the Lakers, Raptors, Pelicans, and Pistons. He is an undersized forward who has been slowly improving his jump shot and is a fairly underrated swiss-army knife player. He was a reach at the eighth pick but has carved out a decent career.
Utah Jazz: Who won the trade?
The Jazz got to unload an aging player and get two youngish pieces to perhaps build around moving forward. The Lakers got a solid backup to Russell Westbrook, although there is a lot of animosity between the pair that stems back to 2013.
The trade seems mutually beneficial for both parties. The Lakers can keep their championship window open for just a little longer, and the Jazz are starting to get younger as they head towards an inevitable rebuild. While neither team is a clear winner or loser of the deal, some individuals have found themselves wrapped up in the chaos.