Unbelievable! Retiring from the NBA at just 24! Farewell to the Lakers' young prince.

What?

Reports from abroad say,that Turkish giant Fenerbahçe and Talen Horton-Tucker have finalized a deal for a one-year contract valued at $1 million.

At only 24 years old, Tucker is about to say goodbye to the NBA and begin playing in an international league...

This guy used to be treated like royalty. Despite being just the 16th pick in the second round of the 2019 draft, in the summer of 2021, the Lakers declined Caruso’s 3-year, $30 million extension demand, leading him to leave and sign a 4-year, $37 million deal with the Bulls, who then gave the Lakers a 3-year, $32 million contract in return.

Everyone knows how Caruso and Tucker’s careers have unfolded: Caruso signed a 4-year, $81.1 million contract last summer and won his second NBA championship last season with the Thunder, while Tucker has become unemployed in the NBA and must continue his career overseas.

To introduce Tucker further: born on November 25, 2000, standing 1.93 meters tall with a 2.16-meter wingspan, he’s known in the NBA as a long-armed player. He spent three seasons with the Lakers, playing 131 regular-season games and 6 playoff games. In the 2021-22 season, he averaged 25.2 minutes, contributing 10 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1 steal per game.

In the summer of 2022, the Lakers officially gave up on developing Tucker and traded him to the Jazz; by summer 2024, Tucker was not re-signed by the Jazz and became a free agent before joining the Bulls on a partially guaranteed contract.

Over his six-year NBA career so far, Tucker has averaged 19.5 minutes per regular-season game, scoring 9.2 points, grabbing 2.6 rebounds, and dishing 2.8 assists, with shooting percentages of 42.7% from the field, 29.9% from three, and 77.1% from the free-throw line; in playoffs, he averaged 10.8 minutes, 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, shooting 47.2%, 30%, and 60% respectively.

These stats reveal why Tucker has become unwanted in the NBA: a lack of shooting ability. His three-point shooting is barely adequate, allowing opponents to often leave him open defensively, which limits his impact on the court.

However, although Tucker has joined an overseas league, it does not necessarily mean his NBA career is over. If he can showcase outstanding performance in Turkey and considering he is only 24, there is still hope for him to return to the world’s top basketball stage. Wishing him the best on his new journey.