Less than a week after the Washington Wizards reportedly acquired Rui Hachimura, the fourth-year forward is Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks (2023, 2028), according to ESPN. , 2029) to the Los Angeles Lakers. Adrian Wojanlowski on Monday.
Hachimura did not sign a rookie extension before the season, making a possible trade more likely once Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis cemented themselves as starters. Transferring from Hachimura also gives the Wizards the financial flexibility to re-sign Kuzma and Porzingis this offseason if they choose not to exercise their player option.
For the Lakers, acquiring Hachimura will provide the forward depth the team needed as LeBron James and Anthony Davis have missed a combined 32 games this season.
Injuries have forced Los Angeles to give Wenen Gabriel and Juan Toscano Anderson considerable time, so adding Hachimura is a huge upgrade.
Hachimura, who will become a restricted free agent in July, is averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game this season.
In a recent game, Hachimura scored a career-high 30 points in a 138-118 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday. He also recorded 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 30 minutes.
Having shot 44.7% from 3-point range in 2021-22, Hachimura has shot 33.7% from that range this season.
If he can get his three-point stroke back, his 6-foot-8-inch, 230-pound frame could help him grow into a 3-and-D wing. The Lakers are 26th in his 3-point percentage (33.7%) and 20th in his defensive rating (113.8), so this should work well.
The fact that Hachimura turned 25 on Feb. 8 and is still on the rookie contract he signed when the Wizards drafted him ninth overall in 2019 also helps boost Hachimura’s value. .
During his three-year career with Gonzaga, Hachimura 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 won the West Coast His Conference Player of the Year award and was named All-American in his WCC First and Second Teams.
