The downfall of the LeBron James-era for the Los Angeles Lakers did not start with injuries, trades, or age. It started with a decision that seemed minor at the time.
Back in the summer of 2021, the Lakers made the choice to let Alex Caruso walk in free agency while handing a new contract to Talen Horton-Tucker, a Klutch Sports client. That was the turning point.
Klutch Sports' influence cost Lakers a key defensive anchor
It was not a huge headline at the time, but it should have been. Caruso had just come off a championship season where he played a major role.
He was not just a fan favorite; he was one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, a guy who made life easier for stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis without ever needing the ball.
Yet, when he hit free agency, the Lakers undervalued him and did not prioritize bringing him back. Horton-Tucker, meanwhile, was younger, and had flashed some upside.
He also just so happened to be repped by Klutch Sports. That would be the agency that also represented LeBron and AD, and, not so quietly, had major pull inside the Lakers organization.
Nate Jones said it plainly on the House of Strauss podcast: “What I remember is Horton-Tucker got paid, who was a Klutch guy, and Alex Caruso didn’t. … Who knows what the decisions were and why it happened that way and how they were evaluating players.”
You did not need to squint to see what was happening. The Lakers were already deep in the Klutch era at that time.
It was super clear that agency ties were starting to shape basketball decisions. Ethan Strauss even said, “If only Caruso had signed with Klutch, maybe they could have avoided some of the problems they ran into.”
Since that moment problems did pile up. THT never quite found his footing in Los Angeles. He was inconsistent, struggled defensively, and eventually got shipped to the Utah Jazz for Patrick Beverley.
Caruso, on the other hand, kept doing what he always did, making teams better. First as a member of the Chicago Bulls, and then as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he helped them win a championship just last season.
It is absolutely wild to think about now. The Lakers had one of the most reliable, impactful role players in the league and let him go for someone who they overvalued big-time. Not because of talent alone, but because of who was in whose corner.
Looking back, it is safe to say that one decision did not just change the roster. It shifted the team’s direction away from what worked and toward what looked good on paper.
From there, the Lakers were never quite the same. The worst part is they would love a guy like Caruso on the current roster they have. Hopefully Marcus Smart can be the defensive beast the Lakers have lacked.