Talen Horton-Tucker opts in to player option ahead of deadline
By John Canady
The offseason is in full swing, and the real fun is set to begin in the coming days. With NBA free agency set to open on Friday evening, teams and players are slowly but surely opting in and out of player and team options ahead of the deadlines.
The Jazz are down to one last pending player option, with Jordan Clarkson’s deadline on June 29th. Fortunately for Utah, they’ll have another one of their young backcourt pieces back for another season in case Clarkson decides to test free agency.
Talen Horton-Tucker opts in to player option
The Jazz acquired Horton-Tucker in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers last offseason in exchange for Patrick Beverly. In 60 games with Utah, the Iowa State product averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds on 41.9% shooting from the field. Not to mention the 22-year-old finished the season averaging 28 points per game in the Jazz’s final five games.
Now that Utah has Horton-Tucker locked into a deal, the Jazz have plenty of options moving forward with the playmaker. The team can look to continue to develop the young guard in their system, or they can scan the trade market for potential upgrades using his $11 million contract. The 6-foot-4 work in progress has plenty to improve on but could be a valued asset to both rebuilding teams and contenders looking to make a run for a championship.
Nonetheless, Danny Ainge will have the ability to move forward with Horton-Tucker on the roster if he chooses to do so. However, knowing Ainge, it would be hard to believe if he didn’t test the value of the Jazz guard. Only time will tell, but with free agency approaching quickly, we’ll know more about the direction of the Jazz’s offseason plans in the coming days. For now, Horton-Tucker remains in Utah’s future plans.