Rui Hachimura was the first player the Lakers acquired midseason from the Washington Wizards. While trying to address their poor roster before the trade deadline.
Hachimura ended up being one of many new players on the Lakers, but he is really happy to be a Laker and threw a shot at the Wizards, a team with whom he seemed to have a falling out before his trade request.
“It’s crazy, I was just talking to somebody about how I was on a different team on the east coast and they weren’t even going to make the playoffs. Now I’m here on the west coast in the Conference Finals. It feels crazy. I’m so happy to be here and play with these guys.”
"I was on a different team … and they weren't even going to make the playoffs. Now I'm here on the west coast in the Conference Finals. It feels crazy."
— Rui Hachimura on his trade to the Lakers pic.twitter.com/7GvFn4nj2L
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 19, 2023
Most NBA players would be happy if they were traded from the Wizards to the Lakers, but it seems Hachimura was especially happy. Domantas Sabonis had revealed that Hachimura dreamed of playing in the Lakers’ home arena before he had even been drafted into the league, a dream he’s living out in real time. He is a restricted free agent in the summer.
Rui Hachimura’s Playoff Run
Through the postseason, Hachimura has emerged as one of the best bench players in the league. He has had 20-point games off the bench and ends up closing games at times because of his offensive versatility and strong defensive instinct. There’s a reason the Lakers are thinking of having him guard Nikola Jokic in their ongoing series against the Denver Nuggets.
Hachimura has played six minutes in the first quarter of Game 2 between the Lakers and Nuggets and already has six points. He is yet to miss a shot so far this game. He is averaging 11.6 points and 3.3 rebounds for the entire playoffs.
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