Officially signed! Farewell, Lakers' prince! Goodbye, NBA!

The Turkish elite club Fenerbahçe men's basketball team confirmed the official signing of Talen Horton-Tucker, agreeing on a two-year deal.

Many are familiar with young Tucker, formerly known as the Lakers' prince. In the summer of 2021, the Lakers offered him a $32 million, 3-year contract, even rejecting Caruso's $30 million, 3-year extension to secure him. Caruso then had to take a 4-year, $37 million deal with the Bulls, while Tucker won his second championship last season after being traded to the Thunder.

Caruso won his first NBA championship with the Lakers in the 2019-20 season. At that time, Tucker was also part of the Lakers but contributed little as a rookie and essentially earned the championship without much effort.

Born on November 25, 2000, Tucker is only 24 years old this year. A 2019 second-round pick (16th), standing 1.93 meters tall with a 2.17-meter wingspan, he is a versatile guard. He played three seasons with the Lakers before being traded to the Jazz in 2022 in exchange for Beverley. In the summer of 2024, he joined the Bulls as a free agent but went unsigned by any NBA team this summer.

Indeed, the Lakers invested countless efforts over three years to develop a second-round pick, but it ultimately ended in failure.

Now that Tucker has moved to an overseas league, there might still be a chance to return to the NBA. However, usually, once a player leaves, it’s tough to come back. Throughout his career, he averaged 19.5 minutes per regular season game, contributing 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, with shooting percentages of 42.7%, 29.9%, and 77.1%. In the playoffs, he averaged 10.8 minutes, scoring 6.7 points and grabbing 3.2 rebounds per game.

The main reason Tucker couldn’t establish himself in the NBA was his failure to develop a consistent shooting ability. For a guard just over 1.9 meters tall, he never managed to average even one three-pointer per game. Otherwise, with his physical gifts, he could have had a long career as a 3-and-D player.

The 2020 Lakers vs. Clippers preseason game still stands out, where Tucker's clean steal from Leonard is unforgettable. In that game, he exploded for an impressive stat line of 33 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs"; discussing them is pointless.

Wishing Tucker smooth sailing in this new chapter of his career, and may he continue to perfect his reverse layup skills.