Rui Hachimura traded to Lakers ahead of NBA trade deadline
Less than a week after the Washington Wizards were reportedly shopping Rui Hachimura, the fourth-year forward was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks (in 2023, 2028 and 2029), according to ESPN's Adrian Wojanrowski on Monday.
Hachimura didn’t sign a rookie extension before the season and a trade appeared more likely once Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis became firmly entrenched as the starters. Moving on from Hachimura also gives the Wizards more financial flexibility to re-sign Kuzma and Porzingis this offseason if they choose not to exercise their player options.
For the Lakers, acquiring Hachimura provides the team with more depth at forward, which they’ve needed as LeBron James and Anthony Davis have missed a combined 32 games this season.
Injuries have forced Los Angeles to give significant minutes to Wenyen Gabriel and Juan Toscano-Anderson, so adding Hachimura is a major upgrade.
Hachimura, who is set to become a restricted free agent in July, is averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game this season.
In his most recent outing, Hachimura tied his career-high of 30 points in a 138-118 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. He also had five rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes.
After making 44.7% of his 3-point attempts in 2021-22, Hachimura has shot 33.7% from that range this season, which raises questions about his reliability as a spot-up shooter.
If he can regain his 3-point stroke, his 6-foot-8, 230-pound frame could help him to develop into a 3-and-D wing. This should serve the Lakers well, as they’re 26th in 3-point percentage (33.7%) and 20th in defensive rating (113.8).
It also helps Hachimura’s value that he turns 25 on Feb. 8 and is still on the rookie contract he signed when the Wizards selected him 9th overall in 2019.
Hachimura had a three-year career at Gonzaga where he averaged 12.1 points, 6.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in 19.7 minutes per game. In his final season with the Zags, he was awarded West Coast Conference Player of the Year and was named an All-WCC first-teamer and a Second Team All-American.
