Talen Horton-Tucker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz Notes: Hendricks, Markkanen, Samanic, Injuries

December 23rd, 2023 at 8:25am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Jazz have been patiently developing their No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft, Taylor Hendricks, which resulted in a slow start to his career — he only played in one game prior to Dec. 2. However, Hendricks has seen playing time in nine of Utah’s last 10 games, averaging 6.3 points per night.

Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link) spoke to the 20-year-old rookie, whose role has grown due to injuries to Utah’s rotation and his own development through time in the G League.

“It was kind of up and down,” Hendricks said of the start to his career. “I’ll just start from the beginning. Obviously, starting with the injury, kind of being behind, and then starting the season off in the G League — that was pretty hard for me mentally. That first week, it was tough; I was trying to tell myself, ‘This is for the best.’ Once I figured it out, that I can use this to my advantage, everything started to work in my favor.

“When I got called up, then I was ready because of the mindset I had when I was in the G League. I’m still trying to get better, still trying to improve. I’m not perfect.“

Walden speaks to Hendricks about a myriad of topics, including learning Utah’s system, improving both offensively and defensively, and what aspect of his game he’d like to work on most.

“The best thing you can feel is you can help a team win,” Hendricks said. “I feel that I do that, I help this team win. That’s all you can ask for.”

We have more from the Jazz:

Recent rumors indicated that opposing teams have been monitoring what it would take to acquire Jazz star Lauri Markkanen. Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Subscriber link) reviews the situation and confirms that Markkanen would like to stay with Utah. Larsen also writes that the Jazz have a star player, coaching staff and front office in alignment on a competitive timeline, which is rare and should be savored. “He knows what I believe in. He believes in the same things,” head coach Will Hardy said. “We’re really in lockstep in this whole thing — we both want the same thing for the Utah Jazz.“
Forward Luka Samanic hasn’t played much for the Jazz this season, appearing in just 13 games. However, he found a way to make an impact in the second half of Utah’s win over the Pistons on Thursday night, drawing unprompted praise from Hardy, who specifically singled him out for staying ready and making the most of his opportunity, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. “His impact on the game was much bigger than his stat line,” Hardy said. “To give us 10 really good minutes in the second half, in an important part of the game, after not playing meaningful minutes for a long time, I think speaks to him and his growth as a young pro.” The 23-year-old forward was the 19th pick in the 2019 draft by the Spurs but bounced around after that before landing with the Jazz. His deal is currently partially guaranteed for $600K, but becomes fully guaranteed for roughly $2.1MM if he’s on the roster beyond January 7.
Keyonte George remains out for the Jazz, but Jordan Clarkson and Talen Horton-Tucker are both questionable for Utah’s Saturday night game against the Raptors, Larsen tweets. Clarkson hasn’t played since Dec. 11, while Horton-Tucker missed his first game of the season Thursday against Detroit.

Injury Notes: Jazz, Lakers, Sixers, Leonard, Payton, Clarke

December 21st, 2023 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz will be shorthanded for Thursday’s back-to-back in Detroit, with Lauri Markkanen (left hamstring — injury maintenance), Keyonte George (left foot inflammation) and Talen Horton-Tucker (left foot soreness) among the eight players who will be unavailable, per Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

Utah is just 2-13 on the road this season, but the team will be facing the Pistons, who have lost 24 straight games, two shy of the single-season record. If Detroit hopes to snap the skid in the near future, tonight certainly seems like a good opportunity.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Gabe Vincent are out for Thursday’s back-to-back in Minnesota, tweets Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet. Lakers center Anthony Davis (left ankle sprain/bone bruise), meanwhile, is questionable for the matchup against the West’s current No. 1 seed.
Sixers guard De’Anthony Melton exited Wednesday’s victory with a thigh contusion, but it’s not expected to be a serious injury, tweets Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Melton, Nicolas Batum (hamstring) and Robert Covington (illness) did not practice on Thursday, according to Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). On the league’s official injury report, Melton is questionable for Friday’s matchup with Toronto, while Covington is probable and Batum has been ruled out.
He has yet to miss a game this season, but Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard popped up on the injury report ahead of Thursday’s back-to-back in Oklahoma City. He’s officially questionable with a left hip contusion.
Warriors guard Gary Payton II has been “making good progress” from his right calf strain and has been cleared to start “various forms of team practice,” the team announced (via Twitter). Payton, who has missed the past nine games, will be reevaluated again early next week, per the Warriors.
Grizzlies forward/center Brandon Clarke tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape he expects to return to action sometime around the All-Star break. A key rotation player for Memphis, Clarke has been sidelined since March 3 of last season after tearing his Achilles tendon.

Northwest Notes: THT, Sexton, Murray, Camara, Sharpe

December 21st, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

After an up-and-down start to the season that saw them primarily coming off the bench, Jazz guards Talen Horton-Tucker and Collin Sexton have been inserted into the starting lineup with Keyonte George and Jordan Clarkson injured and are playing their best basketball of the season, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Horton-Tucker has averaged 20.3 points and 6.5 assists in his past four games (three starts), with a shooting line of .484/.389/.824. Sexton, meanwhile, has put up 25.6 PPG and 4.0 APG in his past five, with a scorching-hot shooting line of .506/.406/.900.

The results when the two guards have shared the court have also been more encouraging as of late. In Utah’s first 23 games of the season, the team had a -6.3 net rating in the 267 minutes that Horton-Tucker and Sexton played together. In the past five games, the duo has spent 91 minutes on the court together and the team has a +10.8 net rating in that time.

“I get a kick out of the dynamic between the two,” head coach Will Hardy said, per Larsen. “I mean, they argue like brothers when they’re on the bench. It’s really funny. I come back to the timeouts frequently and hear them going back and forth in a spirited, healthy way about whatever’s going on on the court.”

“It’s actually kind of funny, because everybody, like, my family and my teammates, they’re always thinking me and Collin are arguing. We’re never arguing,” Horton-Tucker clarified. “We’re both trying to help each other. If I see something that he did wrong, he sees something that I could help him with, he’s always going to come tell me. Collin’s whole makeup is, like, intense. You never know if he’s yelling or just having a regular conversation with you.”

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

With Jamal Murray back in his home country of Canada on Wednesday night to face the Raptors, Eric Koreen of The Athletic takes a look at how the Nuggets guard has established himself as a star without ever earning an All-Star berth, while Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca notes (via Twitter) that Murray reiterated his desire to play for the Canadian national team at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
An overlooked part of the three-team blockbuster that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee, Trail Blazers rookie Toumani Camara has emerged as a regular starter and a reliable defender for his new team, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic, who says that Camara’s inclusion in that deal was one of the final sticking points between Portland and Phoenix. The fact that Camara is thriving in Portland is all the more improbable given that he and head coach Chauncey Billups agree that his pre-draft workout with the Blazers wasn’t great.“He didn’t look very good. He really didn’t. … He didn’t stand out,” Billups said. “… I can remember watching summer league, one of the first games, and … the kid is good! He’s really good. Active. Tough as heck. I didn’t really see that in the workout, which is why I always say you can’t put too much into a workout. You have to actually see a guy play (five-on-five).”
Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, who missed the second half of Tuesday’s game due to a hip issue, has been ruled out for Thursday’s game vs. Washington due to right adductor soreness, according to the team (Twitter link). It’s unclear whether Sharpe will miss additional time beyond tonight’s contest.

Jazz’s John Collins Reportedly On Trade Block

December 14th, 2023 at 3:24pm CST by Rory Maher

The Jazz are open to trading forward John Collins, a team source tells Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (subscriber link).

The news is somewhat surprising, since Utah just traded for Collins in July. Still, the Jazz only gave up a second-round pick to acquire the 26-year-old, who was essentially salary dumped by the Hawks after being involved in rumors for years.

As Larsen explains, the Jazz have been “frustrated” by Collins’ “slow uptake” on learning the team’s system on both offense and defense. He also has the worst net rating differential on the team (minus-11.8), and hasn’t provided much beyond his solid shooting and rebounding, says Larsen.

However, Collins’ “iffy” performance early in 2023/24 — plus the $77MM he’s owed over the next three years — could make it difficult for the Jazz to find a trade partner, according to Larsen. Utah acquired the seven-year veteran to either have him as long-term piece or to flip him in the future for a positive return. Both of those scenarios seem unlikely at this point.

Here are a few more Jazz notes and rumors from Larsen:

Aside from Collins, guards Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton are also in Larsen’s “more likely to be traded” category, and he notes that a previous report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype indicated that Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk could be on the trade block too. Clarkson, Sexton and Horton-Tucker are all guards who “have had a penchant for over-dribbling, turnovers, and poor shot selection” in ’23/24, Larsen writes. Utah likes Sexton’s intensity and effort, but is looking for long-term backcourt members “who are more natural play-makers or have more defensive size.”
Scotto reported that the Jazz could be in the market for a veteran point guard, but Larsen hears they’d only be interested if the price is right. The team’s disappointing start will likely have the front office prioritizing the future over a big win-now splash unless a superstar becomes available, per Larsen.
The Jazz are unlikely to trade for Bulls guard Zach LaVine “unless it comes at a bargain-basement price,” the source tells Larsen.
As for the players the team wants to keep, that group features Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Walker Kessler and Ochai Agbaji, according to Larsen. Hendricks was selected ninth overall in June’s draft, but has spent most of the season in the G League. However, the Jazz are strong believers in his potential, and declined “an otherwise promising trade opportunity” involving Hendricks over the summer, Larsen reports.

Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson To Miss At Least Two Weeks

December 12th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson will be out at least two weeks due to a leg injury, Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets via a team release.

According to the team, Clarkston suffered a thigh injury in late November, which led to more issues.

The statement read, “During Utah’s game versus New Orleans on Nov. 27, Jordan Clarkson sustained a right thigh contusion after falling into the stands. Following last night’s game against Oklahoma City, he experienced continued hamstring discomfort. Upon further magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Clarkson was diagnosed with a right bicep femoris strain. He will be reevaluated in two weeks.”

Clarkson is averaging a career-best 4.9 assists in 19 games played but his overall offensive numbers have dipped compared to last season, when he averaged a career-high 20.8 points per game while shooting 44.4%. He’s down to 16.6 PPG on 39.9% shooting so far this fall.

Clarkson renegotiated and extended his contract in July. He’s making $23.49MM this season, though his salary drops to $14.1MM next season and $14.3MM in 2025/26.

Collin Sexton, Talen Horton-Tucker and Kris Dunn could all get more playing time with Clarkson sidelined.

Utah’s frontcourt of Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, John Collins are all listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Knicks. That trio didn’t play against the Thunder.

Western Rumors: Rockets, Grizzlies, Jazz, Kings, Brogdon

November 29th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After making several significant changes to their roster during the 2023 offseason, the Rockets figure to remain active on the trade market during the season. League sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that Houston has interest in pursuing further roster upgrades, with Victor Oladipo, Jock Landale, Jeff Green, and draft picks among the team’s potential trade chips.

None of those three players are owed guaranteed money beyond 2023/24 and all are being paid between $8-10MM this season, making them logical salary-matching pieces. Forward Jae’Sean Tate has also generated exploratory interest from playoff-caliber clubs in recent years, according to Scotto, who adds that Reggie Bullock also had several suitors before signing with Houston, making him a name to watch too.

One player we shouldn’t expect to end up in Houston? Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Scotto says the Rockets aren’t involved in the LaVine sweepstakes.

Scotto has more trade-related items of interest from around the Western Conference. Here are a few:

Sharpshooter Luke Kennard and forward John Konchar are among the Grizzlies players who are candidates to be dealt before February’s deadline, Scotto writes, identifying the Celtics, Warriors, and Lakers as some of the teams that have “kept tabs” on Konchar.
Rival executives think the Jazz may attempt to stabilize their backcourt by acquiring a veteran point guard, according to Scotto. While rookie Keyonte George has played well, he’s more of a combo guard, Scotto explains, naming Talen Horton-Tucker and Kelly Olynyk as a couple potential trade candidates on Utah’s roster.
Keegan Murray is the Kings player whom potential trade partners would covet most, but Sacramento views the young forward as an important part of its core and would be more inclined to move future first-round picks in any deal for an impact player, per Scotto.
Three executives who spoke to Scotto believe the Trail Blazers could land a protected 2024 first-round pick – or a similar asset – if they decide to trade Malcolm Brogdon this season.

Western Notes: Booker, Vassell, Jazz Starters, Jackson

November 8th, 2023 at 7:16pm CST by Rory Maher

The Suns are optimistic that Devin Booker might return for the team’s upcoming homestand, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter video link via The Rally).

As Charania notes, Phoenix has home games on Friday, Sunday and next Wednesday. According to Charania, Friday is a possibility.

Booker has battled three different injuries this fall, with the latest being a right calf strain. He has appeared in just two of the Suns’ eight games thus far in 2023/24.

Fellow guard Bradley Beal made his Suns regular season debut on Wednesday after battling a back injury.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

After previously being listed as doubtful, Spurs guard Devin Vassell returned to action on Wednesday in New York, as first reported by Charania (via Twitter) and later confirmed by the team (Twitter link via Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News). However, Vassell did not return to the starting lineup: second-year guard Malaki Branham will continue in that role for now. Vassell missed the past two games with a left adductor strain.
Jazz center Walker Kessler is out at least two weeks with an elbow injury. Instead of replacing him with another big man, head coach Will Hardy decided to make a couple changes to the team’s starting lineup on Wednesday vs. Indiana. Rookie Keyonte George replaced Talen Horton-Tucker at point guard, while second-year wing Ochai Agbaji started at small forward, as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News relays. “Keyonte has played really well,” Hardy said. “I think he’s shown a very quick learning curve on both ends of the floor.” Jordan Clarkson remained the starting shooting guard, with Lauri Markkanen (power forward) and John Collins (center) each sliding up a spot in the frontcourt.
G.G. Jackson, who is the youngest player in the NBA, likely won’t see many minutes for the Grizzlies. In fact, he’s only played one minute over their first seven games. However, the second-round pick is expected to have an expanded role with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League club, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I kind of got a little bit more lenience, so I got to become comfortable,” said Jackson, who is on a two-way contract.

Jazz Notes: Horton-Tucker, Kessler, Sexton, Defense

November 8th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After earning the starting point guard job in the preseason, Talen Horton-Tucker has received some criticism for his part in the Jazz‘s slow start this season, writes Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Horton-Tucker is shooting a career-worst 38.8% from the field, while his 2.3 turnovers per game would be a career high.

In a conversation with Larsen, Horton-Tucker noted that, at age 22, he’s the same age as second-year wing Ochai Agbaji, so he believes he has “the opportunity to only get better.” He also pointed out that it’s his first time playing point guard on a full-time basis.

“I feel like people should be believing in me,” Horton-Tucker said. “I know I take some shots sometimes that are, like, different. It’s one thing that we always talk about: All the shots that I shoot in the games are shots that my coaches and teammates have seen me make. So it’s not coming from a place where it’s forced or — it’s not like, you know, selfish.

“So I’m just really trying to get everybody understand to me a little bit more, to know that anything that I do is never coming from a selfish place. I’m trying to get better, get my teammates better, get in communication with everybody, and just try to get it right on the court. Being an extension of [head coach Will Hardy], is another thing I’ve been trying to do lately.”

Horton-Tucker is on an expiring $11MM contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024 if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

Here’s more out of Utah:

Jazz center Walker Kessler hasn’t yet been officially ruled out for Wednesday’s game in Indianapolis – he’s listed as doubtful – but Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) suggests Kessler’s left elbow sprain is an injury that may cost him multiple games. While it’s not expected to be a long-term issue, Utah will likely have to replace Kessler in its starting lineup in the short term, Jones adds.
Collin Sexton is adjusting to a new role early in the season as the Jazz continue to experiment with their backcourt combinations, says Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Rather than leaning on him for ball-handling and play-making, the team is asking Sexton to play more off the ball and to not hesitate to shoot corner threes or attack the basket when he gets the chance. “Our roster has a lot of capable guards in bringing it up the floor, and so we tried to shift Collin’s mindset the last (few) games in terms of, ‘Let’s get you off the ball,’ because we think that’s best for him, and ultimately that will help the team,” head coach Will Hardy said. “And he’s responded really, really well.”
One of the reasons the Jazz’s defense has been so poor so far this season is a lack of communication on the court and during timeouts, according to Sarah Todd of The Deseret News, who suggests that the team has been without a vocal leader since Mike Conley‘s departure last season. “It’s hard. There’s part of it that’s like, who’s gonna talk?” Hardy said. “With a new group, who is the leader? Who are we looking at? And sometimes everybody’s just kind of looking at each other like, ‘Are you gonna say it or am I gonna say it?'”

Western Notes: THT, K. George, Kings, Booker, Pokusevski

October 27th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After letting several players battle for the role in training camp and preseason, the Jazz made Talen Horton-Tucker their starting point guard on Wednesday. According to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, head coach Will Hardy explained that a domino effect related to two other starters was a major factor in the decision.

“Talen pairs well with Jordan (Clarkson). Jordan is very much a good pairing with Lauri (Markkanen), because he provides a second threat offensively, a second ball-handler, a second play-maker, a second focal point of the offense,” Hardy said. “When we made the determination that Jordan was going to play with Lauri, Talen was the best fit to play with Jordan.”

As Larsen notes, of the players on Utah’s current roster, No. 16 overall pick Keyonte George is the best bet to be the point guard of the future. George had a solid debut, scoring eight points on 3-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes (Horton-Tucker had eight points on 3-of-9 shooting in 22 minutes), but Hardy isn’t ready to throw the rookie in the deep end by starting him and playing him heavy minutes.

“I think that Keyonte is a good player. I think we have high expectations for Keyonte and his future,” the Jazz coach said. “But in no way are we going into these games just saying, ‘Hey, we’re going to play Keyonte to play Keyonte.’ I thought he was reading the game well, he made some really good decisions. He made some great passes to shots that didn’t go in. But, I thought that in the flow of the game, he had a good thing going.”

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The Kings were the feel-good story of 2022/23, winning 48 games and snapping a 16-season playoff drought, but head coach Mike Brown isn’t satisfied with their achievements, telling the team entering this season that “good is the enemy of great,” as Anthony Slater and Sam Amick of The Athletic detail in an in-depth piece on the team’s desire to reach the next level. “I feel like he’s erased everything we did last year from his memory, from our memory,” Domantas Sabonis said of Brown. “He only brings up that we lost against the Warriors (in the first round of the playoffs). He’s definitely pushing us harder, and I love it. It’s fair. That happens usually (where) guys get complacent or think, ‘Oh, whatever we did last year.’ But if we don’t do all the little details, nothing’s going to change, you know?”
Suns guard Devin Booker missed Thursday’s game due to what has been diagnosed as a left mid-foot sprain, according to TNT’s Jared Greenberg (Twitter link), who says the injury occurred during Tuesday’s win over Golden State. Booker will undergo an MRI upon returning to Phoenix and is aiming to return to the court on Tuesday vs. San Antonio, a team source tells Greenberg.
When the Thunder announced on September 20 that Aleksej Pokusevski had sprained his right ankle in a workout, they said he would be reevaluated in six weeks. However, Pokusevski was active for the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, beating a recovery timeline that would’ve sidelined him until November, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The fourth-year forward may not be part of Oklahoma City’s regular rotation at this point though — he only played two minutes of garbage time in Wednesday’s victory over Chicago.

Rockets Eye Alec Burks, Talen Horton-Tucker

October 17th, 2023 at 5:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets cut ties with Kevin Porter Jr. by agreeing to trade the troubled guard and two future second-round picks to the Thunder for injured guard Victor Oladipo and big man Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

However, the Rockets may not be through making deals before next week’s regular season opener, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports. They may look to move Oladipo, combined with other second-round picks, to upgrade their roster.

Houston has held trade discussions with the Pistons regarding veteran guard Alec Burks, who has an expiring $10,489,600 contract. Fischer notes that his contract nearly matches Oladipo’s $9.5MM expiring salary.

It’s not clear if the Pistons would be interested a trade for Oladipo, who is recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee, and some type of sweetener.

The Pistons have other options at guard beyond franchise player Cade Cunningham. New head coach Monty Williams is mulling whether to start lottery pick Ausar Thompson and bring Jaden Ivey off the bench. Detroit also traded for Monte Morris and Joe Harris this offseason, with rookie Marcus Sasser and Killian Hayes also battling for playing time.

Houston has also contacted the Jazz regarding Talen Horton-Tucker. Tucker has an $11.02MM expiring contract and his role with Utah is uncertain, due to the strong play of Kris Dunn and rookie Keyonte George.

The Rockets have some interest in Malcolm Brogdon as well, although the Trail Blazers and Rockets have not held significant discussions. Portland has indicated that it wants to hold onto Brogdon, who was acquired from Boston in the Jrue Holiday deal. Houston also wouldn’t be able to aggregate Oladipo’s salary with another player for two months after finalizing its trade with Oklahoma City. Brogdon is earning $22.5MM.

Fischer also delivered some other interesting tidbits in his story:

Prior to the Thunder’s trade with the Rockets, veteran forward Davis Bertāns‘ name was passing through the rumor mill. The Thunder had a roster logjam prior to the deal and still needs to clear another spot, but Bertans is safe. Not only could his perimeter shooting help the Thunder, his $16MM salary for 2024/25 is only guaranteed for $5MM. That could make him a valuable trade piece approaching February’s trade deadline.
The Rockets held conversations with several other teams regarding Porter that would have required them to throw in more second-rounders to get him off their roster. Oklahoma City had planned to waive Oladipo if it couldn’t find a trade for him.
Few rival executives anticipate that the Pacers’ Buddy Hield will be traded prior to the season. The Pacers had looked at potential deals involving Hield after contract extension talks stalled, but it sounds like there’s no traction toward a move.