Rui Hachimura

2023 - 1 - 24

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Rui Hachimura traded to Lakers (Basketnews.com)

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the final stages of completing a deal to acquire Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura for a package that includes three .

9 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Gonzaga. Hachimura can be a restricted free agent. ESPN's insider also writes that Hachimura and the Wizards were unable to agree on a rookie extension prior to the season and trade became more likely as Kyle Kuzma solidified himself as a priority to sign a long-term deal in Washington frontcourt. The Lakers traded for Hachimura with the intention of signing him to an extension this summer, according to Wojnarowski. The trade is expected to be completed this afternoon, via the reports. [Los Angeles Lakers](https://basketnews.com/teams/357-los-angeles-lakers.html) are in the final stages of completing a deal to acquire [Washington Wizards](https://basketnews.com/teams/720-washington-wizards.html) forward [Rui Hachimura](https://basketnews.com/players/23453-rui-hachimura.html) for a package that includes three second-round picks and guard [Kendrick Nunn](https://basketnews.com/players/24328-kendrick-nunn.html), according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

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Wizards trade former lottery pick Rui Hachimura to Lakers (The Washington Post)

The Washington Wizards have traded forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package of draft picks, multiple people with knowledge of the deal ...

Nunn, 27, never found a consistent and productive role with the Lakers this season after missing the 2021-22 campaign with a knee injury. “He has proven to be a valuable contributor during his young career.” This swap would reunite Hachimura with several former Wizards teammates: Westbrook, with whom he developed [a close relationship in Washington](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/04/02/rui-hachimura-russell-westbrook-tutor/?itid=lk_inline_manual_29), as well as Thomas Bryant and Troy Brown Jr. “Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui’s two-way skills and upside was an opportunity that doesn’t present itself often,” Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka said. Unseld’s preferred lineup features Daniel Gafford at center and Kristaps Porzingis at power forward, leaving Hachimura and third-year forward Deni Avdija, a lottery pick in 2020, jostling for minutes off the bench. Hachimura addresses a clear need for Los Angeles, which has been seeking size and athleticism on the wing all season. 9 trade deadline approaches, even as Washington has signaled its intention to keep its third-leading scorer, according to multiple people around the league. “We wish him the best as he begins a new chapter in Los Angeles.” Retaining all three players would push Washington close to paying the luxury tax, which owner Ted Leonsis has done only once since taking over the franchise in 2010. [criticized the team’s roster construction](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/10/19/lebron-james-steph-curry/?itid=lk_inline_manual_12) on opening night. With the Hachimura deal, the Lakers were able to add a rotation player without sacrificing one of their two tradable future first-round picks, which could be used to make additional deals before the Feb. 9 pick in the 2019 draft, struggled to fully blossom during four seasons with Washington.

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NBA Trade Grades: Lakers Acquire Rui Hachimura From the Wizards (Sports Illustrated)

Los Angeles will reportedly send Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to Washington.

Nunn plays only 13.5 minutes a night, and is superfluous in a guard rotation involving [Dennis Schröder](https://www.si.com/nba/player/dennis-schroder), [Russell Westbrook](https://www.si.com/nba/player/russell-westbrook), Austin Reaves and [Patrick Beverley](https://www.si.com/nba/player/patrick-beverley). It’s never great to be in a position to cut bait with a lottery pick. It’s a bad spot to be in for the Wizards. At least Washington seems to be in a realistic place about the roster moving forward, which is to say thinking about the long term as opposed to this season. My only real caution here—and it’s small—is the Lakers don’t have a plethora of chips to move around. And ultimately, the Lakers need all the rotation help they can get, especially when it comes to size and athleticism. Los Angeles [acquired forward Rui Hachimura](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35511046/sources-lakers-nearing-deal-wizards-rui-hachimura) from the Wizards on Monday, [per multiple reports](https://www.si.com/nba/2023/01/23/wizards-trade-rui-hachimura-lakers-kendrick-nunn-draft-picks). This grade more so reflects not being able to get it done with Hachimura than this trade itself, which for the Wizards is nothing more or less than a definitive “Meh.” The Lakers will send Washington guard [Kendrick Nunn](https://www.si.com/nba/player/kendrick-nunn) and three second-round picks in the deal. [Anthony Davis](https://www.si.com/nba/player/anthony-davis). [Lakers](https://www.si.com/nba/team/los-angeles-lakers) are finally making moves. Still, his athleticism should be a nice fit in the frontline, and he can play alongside Davis whenever he returns.

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Why Rui Hachimura is a perfect fit on Lakers next to LeBron James ... (Sporting News)

Trade speculation has swirled around Rui Hachimura for weeks. Finally, the former top-10 pick has a new home after the Lakers picked him up in exchange for ...

Wesbtrook even imparted lessons on Hachimura that he could use in the middle of games. Hachimura should benefit from the attention that Westbrook still gets on drives and be able to finish at the basket for easy layups. He was having a renaissance season, in line to be the potential Defensive Player of the Year before injuring his foot on Dec. Davis is one of the best players in the league at cleaning up those types of mistakes. This season, he's hit 74 percent of his shots in the rim, a top-10 mark for forwards in the league. LeBron will get Hachimura the highest-quality looks that he has ever had in his career. While he has great size and length at 6'8" with a 7'2" wingspan, he isn't particularly good at protecting the rim and can get lost off the ball. Hachimura is an elite midrange shooter that can create his own offense, solving that issue for the Lakers. But when LeBron sits, their offensive rating has dropped to 109.6, which would be the lowest number in the league. Hachimura wasn't getting a ton of those open looks with the Wizards. LeBron is elite at getting out in transition and hitting players cutting to the rim for layups. The Lakers are obviously in desperate need of shooting help.

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Sources - Lakers agree to deal for Wizards' Rui Hachimura (ESPN Australia)

The Lakers are sending three second-round picks and guard Kendrick Nunn to the Wizards for forward Rui Hachimura, sources told ESPN.

... I just want to be somewhere that believes in me and I can be myself. Nunn, in his fourth NBA season, has played in 39 games this year after missing all of last season due to a knee injury. The Lakers believe that Hachimura gives them another sizable wing defender who has shown an ability to make corner 3-pointers and midrange shots when teams run the Lakers off the 3-point line. "I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player,'' Hachimura told reporters last week. "And I want to be somewhere that likes my game. "Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui's two-way skills and upside was an opportunity that doesn't present itself often," Lakers vice president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka said in a statement.

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Report: Lakers acquiring Rui Hachimura from Wizards | NBA.com (NBA.com)

(AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring former lottery pick Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and a package of ...

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Lakers trade for Rui Hachimura, send Kendrick Nunn, 3 second ... (Yahoo Sports)

Hachimura was the ninth overall pick out of Gonzaga in the 2019 NBA Draft. He played a ton in his first two seasons, starting 105 total games, but that number ...

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Report: Lakers acquire Wizards' Rui Hachimura for Kendrick Nunn ... (NBC Sports Bay Area)

The Lakers reportedly are picking up Wizards forward Rui Hachimura in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks.

Their 22-25 record puts them 12th in the West, though they are just one game back of ninth and 2.5 games back of fifth. They also traded a first-round pick, Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell to the Wizards in 2021 to acquire Russell Westbrook, leaving 2027 and 2029 as the only first-round picks at their disposal for trades right now. Washington selected Hachimura with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

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Sources - Lakers agree to deal for Wizards' Rui Hachimura (ESPN)

The Lakers are sending three second-round picks and guard Kendrick Nunn to the Wizards for forward Rui Hachimura, sources told ESPN.

... I just want to be somewhere that believes in me and I can be myself. Nunn, in his fourth NBA season, has played in 39 games this year after missing all of last season due to a knee injury. The Lakers believe that Hachimura gives them another sizable wing defender who has shown an ability to make corner 3-pointers and midrange shots when teams run the Lakers off the 3-point line. "I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player,'' Hachimura told reporters last week. "And I want to be somewhere that likes my game. "Adding both size and depth to the wing position has been a goal, and the chance to accomplish that by acquiring a player with Rui's two-way skills and upside was an opportunity that doesn't present itself often," Lakers vice president of basketball operations and GM Rob Pelinka said in a statement.

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LA Lakers add Wizards forward Rui Hachimura in trade (The Japan Times)

New York – The Los Angeles Lakers finalized a deal to send guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks to the Washington Wizards to acquire ...

If this does not resolve the issue or you are unable to add the domains to your allowlist, please see Please add japantimes.co.jp and piano.io to your list of allowed sites. This could be due to a conflict with your ad-blocking or security software.

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Lakers acquire Rui Hachimura from Wizards | NBA.com (NBA.com)

Los Angeles is sending Kendrick Nunn and 3 second-round picks to Washington in exchange for Hachimura.

We want to thank Kendrick Nunn and his family for his time as a Laker, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future.” He has averaged 6.7 points in 39 games this season, 37 of them in a reserve role. “We are excited to welcome Rui and his family to the Los Angeles Lakers,” said Rob Pelinka, vice president of basketball operations and general manager for the Lakers.

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The King and I: Rui Hachimura traded to Los Angeles Lakers (Olympics)

The Japanese forward and Tokyo 2020 Olympian is dealt from the Washington Wizards to LeBron James & Co. ahead of the trade deadline in his fourth NBA ...

They currently are 12th in the Western Conference, one game out of the play-in tournament. He was picked ninth overall in the 2019 draft out of Gonzaga University. ahead of the trade deadline in his fourth NBA season.

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Lakers' Dennis Schroder found out about the Rui Hachimura trade ... (CBSSports.com)

While there had been rumblings about Hachimura possibly getting traded, the actual deal came out of nowhere. So much so that even Lakers point guard Dennis ...

[LeBron James](/nba/players/400553/lebron-james/) should help in that regard. Early on Monday, they sent [Kendrick Nunn](/nba/players/2104256/kendrick-nunn/) and three future second-round picks to the [Washington Wizards](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/WAS/washington-wizards/) in exchange for fourth-year forward [Rui Hachimura](/nba/players/2268082/rui-hachimura/). As for this deal, Hachimura will give the Lakers some much-needed size and athleticism in the frontcourt and cost them very little in return. As Schroder's stream shows, most of the time other players are not in the loop on everything the front office is doing, so trades are just as much of a surprise to them. It's pretty rare to get a player's honest, initial reaction to a trade rather than a soundbite in the media hours later. The veteran was live streaming when news of the trade broke on social media.

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Lakers acquire Rui Hachimura from Wizards for Nunn, picks (WOKV)

The Los Angeles Lakers acquired former lottery pick Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards on Monday in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and a package of ...

Hachimura equaled a career high with 30 points for the Wizards on Saturday in his final game before the deal. Hachimura will be reuniting with penetrating guard Russell Westbrook, his teammate in Washington during the 2020-21 season. Hachimura is hitting 34% of his 3-point shots this season after hitting 44.7% last season, but he excels in the catch-and-shoot situations that are often created for James' teammates by his penetration and playmaking. Washington is 20-26 after signing star guard Bradley Beal to a big contract in the offseason, and the Wizards were 1 1/2 games behind the final play-in spot heading into Monday's games. ... I just want to be somewhere that believes in me and I can be myself. At 22-25, they’re in 12th place in the Western Conference, but entered Monday just two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No.

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Wizards trade Rui Hachimura to Lakers, acquire Kendrick Nunn (NBC Sports)

The Wizards traded former first-round pick Rui Hachimura to the Lakers with a focus on draft capital in the exchange.

Third-year forward Deni Avdija could also see his role increased, especially with his emergence as one of the team's best rebounders. The second-round picks will be in 2023, 2028 and 2029. Hachimura, 24, was a key bench player for the Wizards this season. The news broke Monday and ends a four-year tenure for Hachimura in Washington. with a host of former Washington players on the Lakers including Russell Westbrook, Thomas Bryant and Troy Brown Jr. Hachimura will now reunite in L.A.

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What are the Wizards doing? No, seriously, what are they doing? (The Washington Post)

Some NBA franchises prefer to comfort the anxiety of their fan bases with rebuilding plans. They'll tank games and hoard high draft picks, as the Philadelphia ...

[signed Beal to the super-duper max](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/30/bradley-beal-wizards-free-agency/?itid=lk_inline_manual_28) — with a no-trade clause, mind you — and surrounded him with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma. Instead of committing to a full rebuild, they’ll give Beal the keys to the kingdom but provide him little assistance outside of his best two teammates. The Wizards are making their stalemate seem more stimulating, at least, but in the end, they’re doing what they always do: nothing. [Jason Murray](https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jason-murray/?itid=lk_inline_manual_30) or than anyone who is still paying to watch this team play. For now, however, he has scored 11 more points in the NBA than Washington Post NBA editor [Wizards’ Kristaps Porzingis is week-to-week with an ankle sprain Image without a caption By Ava Wallace](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/23/kristaps-porzingis-ankle-injury/?itid=lk_interstitial_manual_29) As a rookie, Hachimura was expected to play alongside the team’s alpha, Bradley Beal. Still, he was expected to be more than the Wizards’ Japanese ambassador; he was supposed to plug into the rotation right away. “We were really, really fortunate last night to be able to draft Rui Hachimura,” President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard said at the time. Instead, generations of fans can join in on a near-annual game: “What Are the Wizards Doing?!?” We prefer to spend hours in front of our crazy walls, connecting red strings from the Issuf Sanon draft pick to the Isaiah Thomas era and trying to unearth the truth: Was taking Jan Vesely sixth overall in 2011 just a way to distract us from the government bugging our landlines — or at least from the previous year’s trade that somehow involved Kirk Hinrich and Mike Bibby? With this move, forget rooting for a shot for the play-in.

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Rui Hachimura acquired by Los Angeles Lakers from the ... (CNN)

The Los Angeles Lakers have added Rui Hachimura to their roster after completing a trade for him from the Washington Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn ...

I just want to be somewhere that believes in me and I can be myself. Despite only coming off the bench, Hachimura has been in good form this year, averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game. Having been unable to sign a rookie-deal contract extension, Hachimura would have become a restricted free agent at the end of this “And I want to be somewhere that likes my game … “I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player,” the 2019 ninth overall draft pick out of Gonzaga told reporters on Saturday. Nunn was in his second season with the Lakers and his fourth in the NBA, but the shooting guard missed the entirety of last year with a knee injury and has only played a reserve role this season, averaging 6.7 points in 39 games.

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Rui Hachimura trade grades: Lakers earn high mark by addressing ... (CBSSports.com)

The Lakers made the first notable move ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline on Monday.

So has [Bojan Bogdanovic](/nba/players/1831131/bojan-bogdanovic/). [Kyle Kuzma](/nba/players/2842826/kyle-kuzma/) has been discussed as a possibility. The Lakers have thus far solved that problem with the extremely undersized [Patrick Beverley](/nba/players/1685200/patrick-beverley/). If the Wizards can't create an internal support system for them soon, any facade of competitiveness this team hoped to maintain will fade quickly, and when it does, developing the young players they draft at the top of the lottery is going to be their only way of escaping the bottom of the standings. [LeBron James](/nba/players/400553/lebron-james/) and [Anthony Davis](/nba/players/1992786/anthony-davis/) have both missed a meaningful amount of time, and both were essential in defending opposing forwards. [Troy Brown Jr.](/nba/players/2938055/troy-brown-jr/), a 6-foot-6 wing who started his career as a guard, has played nearly half of his minutes at power forward. [based on listed heights](https://en.hispanosnba.com/teams/comparison), the shortest team in the [NBA](/nba/) this season. The Lakers need a great trade to get into the championship picture. Hachimura is averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds this season and matched a season-high with 30 points against the [Magic](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/ORL/orlando-magic/) over the weekend. Last season, they found [Stanley Johnson](/nba/players/2152248/stanley-johnson/) on the scrap heap and got meaningful production. "I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player, and I want to be somewhere that likes my game," he Lately, standout role players [Austin Reaves](/nba/players/2268681/austin-reaves/) and [Lonnie Walker IV](/nba/players/2938054/lonnie-walker-iv/), who have also defended wings, have been out due to injury.

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Lakers trade: How Rui Hachimura can get the most out of his game ... (CBSSports.com)

The Los Angeles Lakers traded for Wizards forward Rui Hachimura on Monday and our Sam Quinn gave the move an A- for L.A., if only because the Lakers didn't ...

Hachimura has the potential to be the best of that bunch and perhaps the most meaningful spacer in closing lineups that will likely continue to include [Russell Westbrook](/nba/players/1622555/russell-westbrook/). [Luka Doncic](/nba/players/2900426/luka-doncic/), both in the half court and transition. If he does, and especially if it comes at a higher volume, the Lakers just picked up a real two-way contributor on the cheap. Hachimura made 44 percent of his 3s last season, but he's down to 33 percent this season on pretty low volume. In fact, he's making 42 percent of his wide-open 3s this season. [Wizards](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/WAS/washington-wizards/) fan, you're more familiar with Hachimura's name than his game.

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Lakers Rumors: LA Expects Rui Hachimura to Sign New Contract in ... (Bleacher Report)

The Los Angeles Lakers are penciling Rui Hachimura into their plans for the 2023-24 NBA season and beyond, according to The Athletic's.

If this is the only marquee transaction the Lakers execute between now and the Feb. The same goes for if Hachimura leaves in the offseason, thus nullifying any long-term gains for L.A. Hachimura didn't hit the heights the Wizards were expecting after they selected him ninth overall in the 2019 NBA draft. Los Angeles didn't pay a steep price, so the trade was almost too good to pass up. [42.0 percent](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629060/shots-dash) on wide open three-pointers and [45.5 percent](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1629060/shooting) from the left corner. [acquired](https://www.nba.com/lakers/news/los-angeles-lakers-acquire-rui-hachimura-1-23-23) Hachimura from the Washington Wizards on Monday, sending Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks out as part of the deal.

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NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Acquire Wizards Forward (Sports Illustrated)

Oklahoma City could use help in the frontcourt, with Washington having a young forward that could be on the market.

However, these types of trades happen every year as teams want to explore talent and are willing to take a look at a new member of the roster. On the season, Bazley is averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds to go along with a block per contest. You can also [meet the team](https://www.si.com/nba/thunder/news/si-thunder-meet-the-team) behind the coverage. To be clear, Bazley has been solid this season, especially on the defensive end. However, if Oklahoma City doesn't plan on bringing him back, it makes sense to trade him now. While the Oklahoma City Thunder are likely to not make a move ahead of Feb.

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Lakers' Dennis Schroder found out about the Rui Hachimura trade ... (CBSSports.com)

While there had been rumblings about Hachimura possibly getting traded, the actual deal came out of nowhere. So much so that even Lakers point guard Dennis ...

[LeBron James](/nba/players/400553/lebron-james/) should help in that regard. On Monday, they sent [Kendrick Nunn](/nba/players/2104256/kendrick-nunn/) and three future second-round picks to the [Washington Wizards](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/WAS/washington-wizards/) in exchange for fourth-year forward [Rui Hachimura](/nba/players/2268082/rui-hachimura/). As for this deal, Hachimura will give the Lakers some much-needed size and athleticism in the frontcourt and cost them very little in return. As Schroder's stream shows, most of the time other players are not in the loop on everything the front office is doing, so trades are just as much of a surprise to them. It's pretty rare to get a player's honest, initial reaction to a trade rather than a soundbite in the media hours later. The veteran was live streaming when news of the trade broke on social media.

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Is Rui Hachimura playing tonight? TV channel, live streams, time for ... (Sporting News)

The No. 9 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Hachimura spent the first three and a half seasons of his career in Washington. He heads to Los Angeles with career ...

Jan. The game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Clippers will tip off around 10:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. - Time: 10:00 p.m. For games on NBA TV, subscribe to Sling Orange & Sports Extra for $27.50 in your first month. Viewers in the United States can also stream the game on Sling TV. Stream Sling Orange for $20 in your first month to catch all regular season games on TNT, ESPN & ABC. He heads to Los Angeles with career averages of 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 47.9 percent shooting from the field. Clippers will be broadcast nationally on TNT. can watch the biggest games of the 2022-23 NBA season on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month! 9 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Hachimura spent the first three and a half seasons of his career in Washington.

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How Restricted Free Agency Played A Role In Rui Hachimura Trade (Forbes)

Restricted Free Agency, or RFA, has long been a thorn in the side of NBA franchises, as it allows opposing teams to set the market on a player who the ...

The Wizards have not only had a clearly superior player in Kyle Kuzma in front of Hachimura for a year and a half, but they also have generally have had too deep a backcourt. By trading away a player with two more years on their rookie contract, you're tapping into the player's perceived potential around the league, and optimizing trade value. Navigating RFA waters begin with understanding the fact that extending a player's rookie contract should be preferable. Here's a quick rule of thumb: NBA teams like to know what they have to deal with, especially financially. [sent to the Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35511046/sources-lakers-nearing-deal-wizards-rui-hachimura) on Januray 23rd, could be had for Kendrick Nunn and three modest second-round draft picks. Or, does a team out there believe in Hachimura's upside to an extent of $20+ million per year?

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Does Rui Hachimura solve any Lakers problems? Yes, but it's ... (The Athletic)

The 2019 lottery pick has holes in his game, but there's a path to some success with this current Lakers group.

He still has a lot to prove, and the level he showed in Washington is not worth wrecking their flexibility. It’s hard for me to believe someone who is this disparate in terms of his base from one shot to the next is going to have a ton of consistency in the moments that matter most. [Memphis Grizzlies](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/grizzlies/) second-rounder in 2024 and their own 2025 and 2027 second-rounders. [Thomas Bryant](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/thomas-bryant-dq4B2s0HiwRTR3cB/) — a serviceable backup big who spaces the floor but not one who is out there creating his own shot. Hachimura gets a wide open 3 from the top of the key because Randle is helping down onto Porziņģis in the middle of the floor. The combination of not passing in addition to being very midrange-heavy leads to maddening possessions such as the one below, where Hachimura just decides to put his head down with 15 seconds left on the shot clock and drive into the brick house known as [Julius Randle](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/julius-randle-ZOBqK4RMFKL7YI2Q/). They’re a below-average rebounding team and don’t force any turnovers, and it feels like the defense is not as disruptive as it should be because the gaps and spaces for opposing teams driving are just a little bit longer. [Kyle Kuzma](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyle-kuzma-7x2ASMz0sv4qdd7u/), who is having a terrific year. The Wizards’ net rating as a team was consistently worse with Hachimura on the floor than when he was off it, according PBPStats.com. [Bradley Beal](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/bradley-beal-mb7gZfksSkvZCBxf/) has only taken about 40 percent of his half-court shots from the midrange. 17](https://theathletic.com/1020711/2019/06/17/sam-vecenie-big-board-version-8-0-final-ranking-and-tiers-of-the-top-120-draft-prospects-on-his-board/) on my final board for the 2019 NBA Draft. Hachimura can get to the rim attacking closeouts, out in transition and posting up mismatches.

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Report: Indiana Pacers were 'finalist' for Rui Hachimura before Los ... (Sports Illustrated)

Yesterday, the Washington Wizards traded forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and second-round draft picks in 2023, 2028, ...

[CLICK HERE](https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/report-goga-bitadze-most-likely-indiana-pacers-big-man-trade-season) [.](https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-have-several-players-in-for-workouts-this-past-weekend-led-by-tyrese-haliburton) The Pacers have surplus draft picks in the coming seasons and theoretically could have matched the Lakers trade offer, but it's understandable why they didn't given that it's a potentially wonky fit. Expect the blue and gold to be mentioned in many trade reports in the coming weeks due to their salary cap situation and better than expected record. [CLICK HERE](https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/tyrese-haliburton-hopes-to-return-from-injury-early-february-for-indiana-pacers) [.](https://www.si.com/nba/pacers/news/indiana-pacers-have-several-players-in-for-workouts-this-past-weekend-led-by-tyrese-haliburton) But the Pacers were not included in this Hachimura deal, even with [reports suggesting that Indiana is in the market](https://sports.yahoo.com/pacers-accelerated-timeline-might-have-them-looking-to-improve-at-trade-deadline-154008975.html) for a power forward. The forward's potential and decent play give him some value, but it's understandable why Hachimura was unable to fetch a first round pick in return despite his status as a former top-10 pick and demand reportedly existing from multiple teams. That said, the now-Lakers forward is still young and developing and could improve in the coming seasons. "So this is a deal that was in the makings for a while." But despite being a finalist, Indiana did not land the 24-year old. The NBA trade deadline is February 9, which is just over two weeks away. Thus, they had less room for Hachimura in their rotation — the 24-year old is averaging 24.3 minutes per game this year, down from his career average of 27.8. Yesterday, the Washington Wizards traded forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and second-round draft picks in 2023, 2028, and 2029.

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New Laker Rui Hachimura could make his team debut on Wednesday (Yahoo Sports)

On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers made waves by trading guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks to the Washington Wizards for forward Rui Hachimura. Many feel that although he won't make them into championship contenders, ...

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Winners, loser from Rui Hachimura trade to Lakers (NBC Sports)

The Los Angeles Lakers made a trade to bring in Rui Hachimura from the Wizards, but who are the big winners and losers from the deal.

(Of course, he will get most of his minutes off the bench next to [Russell Westbrook](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/basketball/nba/player/29376/russell-westbrook) — they were teammates in Washington and have a connection.) [according to Jake Fischer at Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-acquisition-of-rui-hachimura-could-limit-free-agent-flexibility-231717513.html), and the Hachimura trade signals they are serious about re-signing him this offseason. While he has responded to trade rumors saying all the right things about loving his time with the Wizards and his teammates, the rumors continue to swirl around the league that he is eyeing bigger markets and brighter lights. He needs to get out and run with Westbrook, he’s a good fit with the Lakers on the break. Hachimura got what he wanted in that he’s out, and he’s on a team that’s going to give him plenty of minutes, a franchise with a much brighter spotlight, he gets to play next to LeBron James, and he’s with a team that wants to reach a new contract deal with him this offseason. Does Kuzma want to stay in Washington? This is a solid, safe play, one the Laker front office can tout to fans and say, “look, we’re trying” (and say the same to any They instead got three seconds, which maybe they turn into a good player but it’s not a home run. Hachimura has improved as a catch-and-shoot 3-point guy in his NBA career, and when playing with All it cost was a guy on the edge of the rotation and some second-round picks. We’ll start by reminding everyone of the trade itself: On the other side, the Wizards…

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Lakers reportedly plan to make Rui Hachimura a starter, but that ... (CBSSports.com)

Opposing teams have spent the entire season asking the Lakers for one of their two tradable first-round picks in almost any negotiated trade, but the Washington ...

Further, by starting Hachimura, the Lakers are essentially committing to keeping Davis at center for the rest of the year. Of course, that is a decision the Lakers don't need to make until the offseason. While the Lakers are incredibly thin at forward, their two best players happen to be in the front-court. [Andre Drummond](/nba/players/1992788/andre-drummond/) a starting position in 2021 upon his arrival despite [Marc Gasol's](/nba/players/1231870/marc-gasol/) superior play and fit with the incumbent roster. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported after the deal that the Lakers hope to re-sign Hachimura after the season. [Rui Hachimura](/nba/players/2268082/rui-hachimura/) trade the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/) made on Monday was the relatively meager price.

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Draymond Green Says Lakers 'Won' Rui Hachimura Trade with ... (Bleacher Report)

Count Draymond Green among the fans of the Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition ofRui Hachimura. The Golden State Warriors forward said the Lakers "won" the ...

and it just wasn't working out for Kendrick Nunn." The Rui trade is very good for the Lakers because any time you can get length and athleticism, it's always helpful. A 2019 first-round pick, Hachimura averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 30 appearances with Washington this season. "Why do I think that? I think Kendrick Nunn is going to go to Washington and rediscover the Kendrick Nunn that we saw in Miami. I actually think Kendrick Nunn is going to go to Washington and play well.

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Rob Pelinka -- Rui Hachimura move 'doesn't mean our work is ... (ESPN)

The Lakers' acquisition of Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards on Monday doesn't indicate the Lakers' pursuit of additional deals leading up to the ...

I'm so happy to be a part of this family, and I'm so happy to be back in L.A. "We all have to do our jobs and do them with excellence and all be together. "Just a multifaceted, strong, athletic, skilled young player that I'm really excited about having the opportunity to add him to our ballclub. Hachimura took a red-eye flight to L.A. And if that move doesn't present itself, we'll be smart and make it at a later time." That's how we operate and will continue to operate." If we see a move that puts us as a front-runner to get another championship here, the 18th one here, we'll make it. "The completely unwise thing to do would be to shoot a bullet early and then not have it later when you have a better championship move you can make," Pelinka continued. was able to hold on to those picks in the Wizards trade, sending And, I said this at the beginning of the season, if there's an opportunity to get all the way to the end and win a championship, there's no resource we'll hold on to if we feel like that's there." 9 trade deadline will include parting with the franchise's 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in order to complete a deal. Pelinka was asked if the Lakers' pursuit of additional deals leading up to the Feb.

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Lakers not done making moves after Rui Hachimura trade? (Hoops Hype)

Dave McMenamin: Rob Pelinka said the Rui Hachimura trade was “an opportunity to strike early” in a mostly dormant trade market so far but added, ...

– [2:15 PM](https://twitter.com/ChaseHughesNBCS/status/1617964399461031937) [Zach Lowe](https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA)@ [ZachLowe_NBA](https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA) @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork [podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tra…](https://t.co/uVN4LQKJfk)– [10:43 AM](https://twitter.com/KamBrothers/status/1617911052632563712) [Nate Duncan](https://twitter.com/NateDuncanNBA)@ [NateDuncanNBA](https://twitter.com/NateDuncanNBA) – [7:33 PM](https://twitter.com/ChaseHughesNBCS/status/1618044438848352256) [David Aldridge](https://twitter.com/davidaldridgedc)@ [davidaldridgedc](https://twitter.com/davidaldridgedc) @LockedOnNBAPods @LockedOnNetwork [youtu.be/uDb3wXbsmfw?t=2](https://t.co/JgxMKE84Yl)– [4:37 PM](https://twitter.com/KamBrothers/status/1618000128056635395) [Sam Vecenie](https://twitter.com/Sam_Vecenie)@ [Sam_Vecenie](https://twitter.com/Sam_Vecenie) [@LockedOnLakers](https://twitter.com/LockedOnLakers)pod on YouTube, w/ [@DimeDropperPod](https://twitter.com/DimeDropperPod)from [@lockedonclips](https://twitter.com/lockedonclips)! [@LockedOnLakers](https://twitter.com/LockedOnLakers)podcast! [@Josh Robbins](https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins)on the Hachimura trade, and what he argues has undermined the Wizards for a while now: poor drafts. [@BleacherReport](https://twitter.com/BleacherReport)What’s Next for Los Angeles Lakers after Rui Hachimura Trade? We talk Rui Hachimura and Lakers-Clippers with [@DimeDropperPod](https://twitter.com/DimeDropperPod)from [@lockedonclips](https://twitter.com/lockedonclips)! [@AwaddRadio](https://twitter.com/AwaddRadio). [@SportsBizClass](https://twitter.com/SportsBizClass)Luxury Tax Tracker for the Hachimura trade. [@1067theFan](https://twitter.com/1067theFan)with my guy [@Nell_BTP](https://twitter.com/Nell_BTP)coming up here in a few moments.

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Lakers excited to add Rui Hachimura, but Rob Pelinka says more ... (OCRegister)

Moments after walking through the tunnel at Crypto.com Arena, Hachimura was in Lakers warm-up gear and on the court, going through drills with assistant coach ...

“And I think when he jumps into this flow of super competitive guys that are playing aggressively and physically every night, it’s going to bring also another level out of him.” The front office managed to get Hachimura with a package of Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks, keeping some of their powder dry for a bigger trade down the road. And if that move doesn’t present itself, we’ll be smart and make it at a later time.” Pelinka has indicated a willingness to use them publicly, but the Lakers have been reluctant to part with them without getting a true impact player in return. “Just what he brings offensively, a guy that can create his own shot as well as fall into the system seamlessly.” For a team in need of size, depth and youth, Hachimura checks a lot of boxes.

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How will Deni Avdija's role change following Rui Hachimura trade (Yahoo Sports)

The Wizards believe Deni Avdija has a better chance to develop with Rui Hachimura elsewhere. How will that look in their rotation?

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How will Deni Avdija's role change following Rui Hachimura trade (NBC Sports)

The Wizards believe Deni Avdija has a better chance to develop with Rui Hachimura elsewhere. How will that look in their rotation?

But the runway has been cleared for Avdija to take a big step forward in his development. Ultimately, it will be up to Avdija to seize the opportunity Sheppard and the Wizards have evidently created for him. During his time playing overseas before he came to the NBA, Avdija more frequently made plays out of the post, both for himself and others. Avdija could now play closer to the basket, as more of a power forward than a small forward. Avdija knocked down nine of those shots, accounting for the majority of his 15 points. He was also the ninth overall pick and now with Hachimura gone, his development becomes even more important to their future.

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