The Los Angeles Lakers are re-signing Rui Hachimura to a three-year, $51 million deal, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Hachimura may not have been a part of the oft-discussed Russell Westbrook blockbuster, but he was still likely the most impactful addition the Lakers made during last season's critical roster shakeup. Now, he will remain with the Lakers as a young building block that can help them win with LeBron James and perhaps stick around for whatever comes afterward.
Hachimura had a tumultuous tenure with the Washington Wizards, who picked him No. 9 overall in 2019. He averaged 13 points per game across parts of four seasons with the Wizards, but missed time due to both injuries and personal issues. Playing on a bad team, he developed a reputation as an inattentive defender that took bad shots, and the Wizards were ultimately only able to trade him for a few second-round picks.
But once he got to Los Angeles, he grew into a valuable player on a very good team. He made almost 49% of his 3-pointers in the postseason and gave up many of the ugly mid-range looks that hurt him in Washington without sacrificing some of the bully ball skills that made him so appealing in the first place. In the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, he frequently defended two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and did as well in that difficult role as just about anyone this postseason.
The Lakers were thin on viable wings before the Hachimura trade, but his presence gave them a viable option at either forward spot, and at times, even backup center. Players like that are in short supply around the league, and the Lakers have wisely locked up the one that they managed to find. He may have struggled in Washington, but the Lakers have helped Hachimura realize his potential on a winning team. Now, he'll be in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.
