A Homecoming, Just Not Here
The Lakers made it clear this offseason they were not bringing Rui Hachimura back, and on Monday he found a new home just a few miles from Crypto.com Arena. Hachimura agreed to a two year, $28 million contract with the Clippers, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, ending a three and a half year run in purple and gold that included a trip to the 2023 Western Conference Finals and a strong postseason push this past spring.
A Departure With an Extra Sting
Hachimura wanted to stay in Los Angeles regardless of jersey color, and reports indicate Luka Doncic had actually pushed the front office to bring him back given how well his shooting and off ball movement fit next to a high usage playmaker. Instead, the Lakers prioritized other pieces this summer, agreeing to deals with Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Quentin Grimes, and that spending left no realistic path to retain Hachimura.
No Sign and Trade, No Return
Compounding the loss, the Lakers reportedly had a chance to work out a sign and trade with the Clippers that would have netted a trade exception, but passed on it. The exception would have needed to be renounced for the Lakers to use their remaining room in free agency, so the front office let Hachimura walk for nothing rather than take on that tradeoff.
What the Lakers Lose
The numbers make the loss sting more. Hachimura averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds during the regular season while shooting 51.4 percent from the field and 44.3 percent from three, then elevated his game further in the playoffs, averaging 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while leading all high volume shooters in three point percentage during the postseason run.
The Bigger Picture
Hachimura’s exit is one piece of a larger transformation happening around the Lakers this summer. LeBron James is gone. Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes have also left for other teams, and Deandre Ayton was traded to Washington. The roster Rob Pelinka is building now centers fully around Doncic, and the front office clearly made calculated bets on defense and size over continuity, with names like Jonathan Kuminga still being pursued to fill the wing.
For Hachimura, the move keeps him in the city he has called home without uprooting his life, even as he switches sides of one of the league’s fiercest crosstown rivalries. For the Lakers, it is one more subtraction in an offseason defined by them.