The future of Rui Hachimura with the Los Angeles Lakers is becoming an increasingly complicated topic as the team prepares for a crucial offseason. According to NBA insider Eric Pincus, during an appearance on the Buha’s Block podcast with Jovan Buha, the Lakers may ultimately allow Hachimura to walk in free agency if doing so helps them pursue bigger roster upgrades.
Jovan Buha: “So I’ve been thinking about this with Rui, and we hadn’t touched on Rui. You mentioned that, but Rui is a guy that the Lakers have been high on over the last couple years, and he has been a discovery for them as a second team guy who has really popped in LA compared to… I mean, he started maybe showing some signs later in the Washington tenure, but I think he went to a different level with the Lakers, especially as a shooter.”
“So with the Lakers not moving him at the deadline, it’s going to be one of two things, right? It’s either he’s going to leave in free agency, or they are going to keep him. How do you see Rui fitting into all of this?”
“I mean, I guess technically he could do a sign and trade with someone potentially, but how do you see Rui and his cap? Because if I’m not mistaken, his cap hold is pretty high, it’s in the high 20s. So that’s another factor here with the Lakers and what they do with the cap space. But how do you see Rui playing into all this?”
Eric Pincus: “Well, again, the question becomes where does Rui go? Because it’s really like, take the Lakers out of it. If you’re his agent, what are your options?”
“One is to negotiate to stay at more money or less money, depending on what the Lakers are willing to do. The other is to go to another team. And there’s Chicago, there’s Brooklyn, maybe Atlanta, maybe the Clippers. There are potential teams. Most of them don’t have a ton of money.”
“I could find some teams that can make some moves to get to 20-something in cap room, but the mid-level is about 15, and the biannual is like six or something like that. So let’s say you can get to 21 million in just those two exceptions. So there’s no real point in getting into 23 million in cap room unless you look at Rui Hachimura at 23 as your main offseason acquisition.”
“And I just don’t know that a team is going to look at Rui and say we need to get rid of all the extra pieces that we have, maximize our cap space, and go after Rui Hachimura. So to me, he’s a mid-level, a full mid-level player just based on the market. People will argue and say that’s not what they’re worth, or his agent may disagree entirely. It doesn’t matter from my point of view what a player is quote worth. These are human beings anyway. It’s not even appropriate to put worth on them as a number.”
“But in terms of an NBA contract, what are they worth? They’re worth what the market will bear. And you have to know when you’re timing the market well for your player or when you’re timing it poorly.
“Unfortunately, the way the NBA has shifted is more towards extensions and more towards trades and less free agency. I’ve spoken to the NBA about this. I’ve spoken to the NBPA about this. This was an intentional thing. It’s not an unintended consequence. This is something they valued on both sides and felt it would be better for the teams to make it easier to make trades and easier to get extensions done.”
“There are reasons why that’s good. We could debate whether it’s good or bad. Where it is bad is that it hurts free agency. It hurts someone like Rui, where if the team won’t extend you, which the Lakers wouldn’t extend him at a number he wanted, they still could by the way. The Lakers could extend him as of June 30. So they still have time to extend Rui.”
“If the market is the mid-level, that’s his negotiation point. Maybe he can find a team to give him 15-1, which is where it’s projected to be next year. If you’re the Lakers, you might say we’ll give you 17, which is a little more. We’ll keep you whole of what you’re making right now.”
“So that’s a potential negotiation, an extension with Rui, because his cap hold is 27. If you say alright, you’re at 18.3, we’ll bring you back at 18.3 right now, that eats up a certain amount of cap room. So can they still accomplish the goals they have at that number? Is he someone they value in that position? He’s no longer starting for them. It doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s somebody they’re motivated to keep, but he is a good player, and he’s done good things for them.”
“As far as letting him walk for nothing, I don’t think that’s the best way to look at it. Fans say you’re letting someone go for nothing. You’re not letting him go for nothing. You’re letting him go for the cap space that you use on Giannis if that’s what happens, or Trey Murphy.”
“Let’s say you could get Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Yves Missi in a trade and get three position players filled. Even though Missi is young and hasn’t played much this year, he did show potential when he was a rookie. I’m not saying you give up three firsts for that, but I could see the Lakers giving up three firsts for that. Trey Murphy makes a lot less.”
“So if you’re letting Rui go and you get Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Yves Missi, you kind of have to envision it that way. That’s the sacrifice. From a point of view you’re not trading him directly, not an NBA trade, but trading him in terms of what your team is doing. Instead of paying Rui, you’re paying Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Yves Missi. And you still might have some flexibility to do other things depending on what happens with Austin.”
Hachimura has quietly been one of the Lakers’ most efficient players this season. The forward is averaging 11.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 50.1% from the field and an impressive 43.8% from three-point range. His three-point efficiency currently ranks among the best in the league, sitting sixth overall.
Those numbers follow a solid 2024–25 campaign in which he averaged 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 41.3% from three. Since arriving from the Washington Wizards in 2023, Hachimura has become a valuable scoring forward and floor spacer in Los Angeles.
However, the business side of the NBA could complicate his future with the franchise.
Hachimura is currently in the final year of his contract and is earning about $18.3 million this season. If he enters free agency, his projected cap hold for the Lakers would jump to approximately $27.3 million. A cap hold is essentially a placeholder salary figure that sits on a team’s salary cap sheet until the player signs a new contract or leaves the roster.
That number matters because the Lakers are expected to pursue major roster upgrades this summer.
According to Pincus, the league’s financial landscape has shifted toward extensions and trades rather than free agency, which could limit the type of offers Hachimura receives on the open market. Based on current projections, Pincus believes Hachimura’s market value may fall around the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is expected to be roughly $15.5 million annually next season.
Reports suggest the team could have roughly $48 to $52 million in cap space this offseason before accounting for decisions involving Austin Reaves and LeBron James. If James decides to return on a reduced salary and the Lakers pursue another star like Giannis Antetokounmpo, that flexibility could disappear quickly. That is where Hachimura’s situation becomes strategic.
From the Lakers’ perspective, letting him leave would not necessarily mean losing him for nothing. Instead, it would create cap space that could be used to acquire a higher-impact player or multiple rotation pieces.
Pincus offered an example scenario where Los Angeles could pursue players such as Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, or Yves Missi through trades or other roster moves. In that situation, the team would essentially be reallocating Hachimura’s salary toward players who fill multiple needs.
The Lakers’ front office now faces a delicate decision. Hachimura has proven he can contribute efficiently, especially as a shooter and scoring option off the bench. Yet roster construction, cap flexibility, and potential star acquisitions could outweigh the value of retaining him long term.
With Los Angeles sitting 4th in the West with a record of 40-25 and preparing for a playoff push, the team’s immediate focus remains on winning games. But behind the scenes, the front office is already weighing whether Hachimura is part of the franchise’s long-term plan or a valuable piece that may ultimately be sacrificed to chase a bigger move.
