3 internal Utah Jazz co-star candidates for Lauri Markkanen

Talen Horton-Tucker

Perhaps the most unconventional choice of the bunch, Talen Horton-Tucker showed a ton of promise toward the end of the season. So much so that he could be a big part of the Utah Jazz’s plans next year.

At just 22 years old, Horton-Tucker already has four years of NBA action under his belt, and post-All-Star break this year, he looked like a quality top option for the Jazz.

After the break, Horton-Tucker played 29.2 minutes per contest. He averaged 18.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. Horton-Tucker shot 43.3% from the field and 32.1% from behind the three-point line.

He was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Markkanen in that span, averaged the third-most shots on the team, and was their second-best playmaker behind Jordan Clarkson.

It was a great stretch for the young guard, as he finally showed off some of the potential the Los Angeles Lakers saw in him when they refused to trade him for Kyle Lowry.

If Horton-Tucker can finally string together a season-long stretch of that full potential, the Jazz could be looking at a serious co-star candidate. But his inconsistency has always been the case with him. The next step for the versatile guard is to find consistency on a nightly basis.