Chicago Bulls: 4 key support pieces to add around Zach LaVine

Free agents the Chicago Bulls can add to support Zach LaVine: Talen Horton-Tucker

Among the more underrated impending restricted free agents coming about this summer is the former Iowa State Cyclone and the Los Angeles Lakers 6-foot-4 and 235 pound Chicago native shooting guard/small forward Talen Horton-Tucker. The value that Horton-Tucker can bring to the table for a team like the Bulls was put on full display this season.

And he’s still in the mix with the superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the seven-seed Lakers in the playoffs. Horton-Tucker and the Lakers are trying to upend the two-seed Phoenix Suns and the star guard pairing of Chris Paul and Devin Booker. But they are currently down after Game 1.

Horton-Tucker was a very solid defender at the two-guard or on the wing since his time at Iowa State. And his game is largely still improving on both ends of the floor since he’s just 20 years of age.

In fact, most of the value that Horton-Tucker could contribute for the Bulls would come on the defensive end of the floor. He’s registered a defensive box plus/minus rating north of 1.5 in his career to date, and his career steal percentage sits above 3.0.

He is also a very underrated facilitator of the offense (averages five assists per 36 minutes this season), and can take a lot of the defensive pressure off of guards like LaVine. Two of the four most efficient two-man combinations (net per 100 possessions) that Horton-Tucker had during the regular season came with the Lakers’ top two stars in James and Davis.

There’s a lot to buy into with what Horton-Tucker brings to the table. And if he opts to not return with the Lakers out of restricted free agency this summer, then the Bulls should really look into signing his offer sheet.