One of the biggest positives to come out of the 2022-23 season for the Los Angeles Lakers was the play of their mid-season acquisitions. The very first of those was Rui Hachimura and he made a strong impression in his short time as a Laker.
He finished the playoffs with averages of 12.2 PPG and 3.6 RPG while shooting 55.7% from the field and 48.7% from beyond the arc. Hachimura isn’t certain to be a Laker next season though as he is going to be a restricted free agent this summer and he spoke about his future during an appearance on Hoop Streams.
“The reason why I requested for the trade (from the Washington Wizards) is that I wanted to be somewhere I could be happy and play basketball, they liked me as a basketball player, that believed in me, and the Lakers were one of the teams that were really interested in me,” Hachimura said. “My agent and the team did a good job, and I went to the Lakers and it was a crazy season for me… I just don’t know my future but I just want to be somewhere that I can be happy. The Lakers have been good and we’re going to see from there.”
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Hachimura wants to be somewhere he can be happy and he certainly seemed to enjoy his time with the team. He became a firm fan favorite as time went on and stated that playing for the Lakers was one of the best times of his life. He went on to say that it was crazy in a good way and that is probably the perfect way to describe the second half of the season for the team in general.
Rui Hachimura Is Expected To Get A Contract Worth At Least $15 Million Per Year
Retaining Hachimura and Austin Reaves are the top priorities for the Lakers this offseason. They are willing to match offers up to $100 million for Reaves and Hachimura won’t come cheap either. NBA insider Jake Fischer says Hachimura is set for a significant payday as he is expected to get a deal worth at least $15 million.
Letting Hachimura walk in free agency would be a blow in quite a few ways for the Lakers. It is clear they have found a player who fits well alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis and we have seen those players aren’t necessarily easy to come by. They also gave up some draft capital to get him and to lose him for nothing a few months after that, wouldn’t be a great look.
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