With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to improve their team. And it appears Rui Hachimura is not as untouchable as once thought. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report noted on X that the Lakers will not add Hachimura in a deal for any role player, but could be swayed if an All-Star becomes available on the market.
“Regarding aggregation, my words are usually taken out of context. For instance, if the Lakers were offered an All-Star for, say, Rui Hachimura, they’d likely consider it. But would they throw him in a deal for a lesser role player just to match salary? Nah.”
Rui Hachimura started the season strong, but his performances have dipped during this recent stretch. For the season, he is averaging 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, while shooting 48.4% from the field, 41.4% from beyond the arc, and 78.7% from the charity stripe.
What has significantly impacted his value to the Los Angeles Lakers has been the arrival of Dorian Finney-Smith from the Nets. Finney-Smith is one of the elite 3-and-D wings in the NBA and gives the Lakers a massive boost in their three-point shooting and their defense. Hachimura may be a great three-point shooter, but he is a lackluster defender at best.
Some reports have suggested that Lakers head coach JJ Redick might be tempted to replace Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup with Dorian Finney-Smith. Doing so would greatly improve the quality of the Lakers’ starting lineup, as they get another big defender who can help Anthony Davis with rim protection, while also not losing anything when it comes to shooting the three.
What All-Stars Could The Lakers Target?
It is interesting to think about what All-Stars the Lakers could possibly land that would make them consider trading Hachimura. The fact of the matter is that with LeBron James and Anthony Davis eating into a lot of their salary cap, they would have to gut most of their roster to land another star.
Hachimura, who makes $17 million this season, would be a big salary they could get off the books. But he would be one of several players who would have to be moved for them to land an All-Star.
The biggest name on the market that wouldn’t have to move too far is De’Aaron Fox. The All-Star point guard is frustrated with the Kings, and this hypothetical deal could be enough to get him in.
A trade for Zach LaVine could be possible, with the Chicago Bulls All-Star being a Klutch Sports client, meaning that he has ties to LeBron James. Another star the Lakers could target is Trae Young, who is reportedly unhappy in Atlanta.
Lakers fans have seemingly made it clear that they don’t want their team to pursue Bradley Beal this offseason, which makes sense, given how trading for him in 2023 forced the Suns to have a paper-thin roster. But as of now, their interest in the former Wizards star remains unknown.
Then there is Jimmy Butler, who the Lakers would love to have, but would also cost a lot. We devised three different trade scenarios where the Lakers could get their hands on the former All-Star.
The Los Angeles Lakers, it was reported, are not satisfied with their roster as of yet, and are looking to make more moves before the February 6th trade deadline. But unless they can feasibly trade for another All-Star, Rui Hachimura is expected to remain a Lakers star for the foreseeable future.
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