Rui Hachimura Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Notes: Pelinka, Hachimura, Ham, Reaves

January 24th, 2023 at 9:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka spoke to the media on Tuesday evening following the trade for Rui Hachimura. He said they started talking to the Wizards “about a week ago” when the young forward was made available.

“It felt like it was an opportunity for us to strike early and address a need, in a market that has proven to be a little bit slow. It doesn’t mean our work is finished,” Pelinka said, per Mark Medina of NBA.com (Twitter video link).

When asked by Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link) about potentially dealing away their 2027 and 2029 first round-picks, Pelinka said that option is always on the table, but only if it makes the Lakers a championship “frontrunner.”

“The calculus for the Lakers is to win a championship or not,” Pelinka said. “There’s no in between or incremental growth. As we analyze opportunities, we have to do it through that lens.”

Here’s more on the Lakers:

Head coach Darvin Ham said he’s “super-duper excited” about Hachimura’s addition, Buha tweets. “I’ve always been impressed by him,” Ham said. “Just a multi-faceted, strong, athletic, skilled young player. … I think he’s gonna bring a lot.”
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores what’s next for L.A. following the deal. While he liked the move in some ways, he points out that dealing away second-rounders in 2028 and 2029 could come back to bite the Lakers if they want to try to add protections to their two first-rounders in future trades.
Although Nekias Duncan of BasketballNews.com views Hachimura as a “mixed bag” defensively, he notes that the 24-year-old is a strong finisher in transition, so that should play to the team’s strengths — the Lakers rank seventh in the league in pace. Overall, Duncan thinks it was a worthwhile gamble, as Hachimura should have a better pathway to easy looks playing with the Lakers rather than the Wizards.
Austin Reaves is currently sidelined with a left hamstring strain and is set to be reevaluated later this week, but he’s confident he’ll be back “soon,” as Buha writes for The Athletic. “We’re going forward, moving forward,” Reaves said of his injury. “Progress. Feeling good.” The second-year guard was able to sprint on Monday first the first time since the injury, Buha adds.

Lakers Rumors: Hachimura, Reddish, Beverley, Bogdanovic

January 24th, 2023 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Wizards discussed the Rui Hachimura trade for several days before reaching an agreement, with the level of draft compensation serving as the primary sticking point, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers were originally exploring the trade market to see what they could get for Kendrick Nunn and two second-round picks, and could have landed Knicks forward Cam Reddish for such a package. However, Los Angeles preferred Hachimura and ultimately reached a compromise with the Wizards – who originally sought a first-round pick for the former lottery selection – by adding a third second-rounder.

Hachimura is expected to command an eight-figure annual salary as a free agent, sources tell Buha, and Fischer has heard similar rumblings, writing that the current expectation is that the forward’s price will be around $10MM per year. That figure could increase though if Hachimura emerges as the Lakers’ third-best player behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis down the stretch though, Fischer acknowledges.

Either way, if the Lakers hope to re-sign Hachimura, which sounds like the plan, his new deal will significantly cut into the cap room they’ll be able to create this summer.

Here’s more on the Lakers:

It’s unclear if Hachimura will start immediately, but the expectation is that he’ll be part of the starting five once he gets acclimated and the rotation is settled, Buha writes. The former Wizards forward could make his Lakers debut as early as Wednesday, tweets Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.
With Davis on track to return in the near future, the Lakers want to continue evaluating their roster to determine whether to use their remaining assets to make a minor or major roster upgrade, according to Buha. While the team is willing to do something more substantial, the most likely move at this point is dealing Patrick Beverley and a lottery-protected first-round pick for a wing or frontcourt player, Buha adds.
Although the Lakers continue to be frequently linked to Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic, there’s a gap between how the two sides view his value. League sources tell Buha that Detroit is seeking at least an unprotected first-round pick, while L.A. is thus far only willing to give up a lottery-protected first-rounder.
In a column for The Los Angeles Times, Woike says the acquisition of Hachimura is a smart, sensible move for the Lakers, even if it’s not a blockbuster. Zach Kram of The Ringer is underwhelmed by the move, arguing that Hachimura is a “single-dimensional scorer” and a subpar defender who won’t move the needle on L.A.’s playoff chances.

Wizards Rumors: Kuzma, Porzingis, Carey, Barton, Hachimura

January 24th, 2023 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards‘ willingness to trade Rui Hachimura reflects their increased confidence that they’ll be able to re-sign Kyle Kuzma as a free agent in the summer, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

According to Stein, Washington has been telling rival teams that it plans to re-sign both Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis, who also has a player option for 2023/24 that he may decline. Porzingis likes his situation in D.C., Stein adds, so if he does turn down his option, it sounds like he’d be open to a new deal with the Wizards.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports has heard similar rumblings on Kuzma, reporting that the Wizards have told inquiring teams like the Suns and Hawks that the veteran forward isn’t available for trade.

Still, even if Kuzma isn’t going anywhere, Washington seems likely to make at least one more trade before the February 9 deadline, Fischer writes. The team wants to open up a spot on its 15-man roster to promote Jordan Goodwin from his two-way contract, and center Vernon Carey Jr. is considered a trade candidate, according to Fischer, who adds that rival executives are also keeping an eye on Will Barton as a possible buyout candidate if he remains in D.C. through the deadline.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

One source tells Stein that Hachimura requested a trade before he was dealt to Los Angeles, which the 24-year-old didn’t deny over the weekend.
Three-team discussions involving the Suns, Bucks, and Wizards helped set the price for the Lakers to acquire Hachimura, according to Fischer (Twitter link), who reports that those three clubs discussed a concept that would have sent Hachimura to Phoenix, Jae Crowder to Milwaukee, and three second-round picks and matching salaries to Washington. The Wizards ultimately decided they preferred the deal with L.A.
In columns reacting to the Hachimura trade, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post questioned the Wizards’ plan and direction following their latest move, while David Aldridge of The Athletic referred to the deal as a “salvage operation” rather than a win for president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard. “Not impactful, but better than letting your No. 9 pick walk for nothing,” a league executive said in a text message to Aldridge. “Not a championship move. Not a playoff move. Maybe a play-in move.”
As Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes in a column on the trade, the Wizards generated a $6.26MM traded player exception in the swap for Hachimura’s outgoing salary, since they were able to take Nunn’s $5.25MM salary into an existing trade exception created at last season’s deadline. Washington will have until January 23, 2024 to use the newly created TPE.

Wizards Trade Rui Hachimura To Lakers

January 23rd, 2023 at 5:23pm CST by Arthur Hill

5:23pm: The Lakers have officially announced the addition of Hachimura in a press statement.

12:15pm: The agreement has been finalized, Wojnarowski tweets. The Wizards will receive the Bulls’ second-round pick this year, the Lakers’ second-rounder in 2029 and the least favorable of the Wizards’ and Lakers’ second-rounders in 2028.

The Lakers had acquired the Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick in a prior trade.

11:42am: The Lakers are in advanced talks to acquire Rui Hachimura from the Wizards, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The price will be guard Kendrick Nunn and multiple second-round picks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports that L.A. offered Nunn and two second-rounders to Washington on Friday, but the Wizards turned it down in hopes of getting a first-round pick for Hachimura, who was drafted ninth overall in 2019 (Twitter link). An agreement was reached Monday when the Lakers added another second-rounder to their offer.

The trade is expected to be finalized this afternoon, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Specifics on the picks involved haven’t been released, but Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (via Twitter) that L.A. has seven second-rounders available, including its own and Chicago’s in this year’s draft.

Hachimura never developed into a star in Washington, but the 24-year-old forward has been a solid rotation player throughout his entire time with the Wizards. In 30 games this season, all as a reserve, he’s averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the field and 33.7% from three-point range.

The Wizards didn’t sign Hachimura to a rookie scale extension before the October deadline, so he’ll be a free agent this summer. The Lakers can make him restricted, giving them the right to match any offer he receives, by issuing a qualifying offer likely to be worth about $7.74MM.

Basketball reporter Marc Stein hears that Washington was willing to part with Hachimura because of increased confidence that the team will be able to re-sign Kyle Kuzma in free agency after he turns down his player option (Twitter link).

After signing with the Lakers as a free agent in 2021, Nunn missed his entire first season due to a knee injury. He has appeared in 39 games this year, making two starts, and is averaging 6.7 PPG in 13.5 minutes per night. The 27-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in July.

Lakers-Wizards Trade Notes: Hachimura, Suns, Grades, More

January 23rd, 2023 at 4:34pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have an agreement in place to acquire forward Rui Hachimura from the Wizards for guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Hachimura was “unhappy” that he didn’t receive a rookie scale extension before the 2022/23 season started.

Sources tell Wojnarowski that the Lakers acquired the 24-year-old with the intention of re-signing him this summer. Hachimura will be a restricted free agent if Los Angeles tenders him a qualifying offer.

Here’s more on the Lakers-Wizards trade:

In an appearance on NBA Today (YouTube link), Wojanarowki said there were three-team trade talks on Sunday night that involved the Suns, but those obviously fell through.
Even though he will have a qualifying offer of about $7.74MM, Hachimura’s cap hold for this summer will be $18.8MM, and that will make it complicated for the Lakers to be a major player in free agency, writes Danny Leroux of The Athletic. If the young forward re-signs at a figure lower than $18.8MM, his first-year salary would immediately replace the cap hold, Leroux notes. That would give them more options, but nothing close to the roughly $30MM in cap space they were projected to have prior to the trade. If Hachimura struggles with the Lakers, they could also either renounce his rights by not tendering him the qualifying offer or pull the offer in order to sign a player they like more, Leroux adds.
Keith Smith of Spotrac views the deal as a “low-risk gamble” by the Lakers and a solid return for the Wizards. Smith writes that the Lakers will add about $3MM to their luxury tax bill with the trade, while the Wizards saved money and are now about $1.3MM away from the luxury tax due to the difference in salary between Hachimura ($6.26MM) and Nunn ($5.25MM). Adding three second-rounders and gaining financial flexibility should help Washington make future deals, Smith adds.
The size of Hachimura’s next contract, assuming it’s with the Lakers, will matter a lot in the view of Zach Harper of The Athletic, who didn’t love the trade for either team. Harper gave the Lakers a C-plus and the Wizards a C in grading the deal.
One of the Wizards’ goals in trading away Hachimura was not taking on future salary, according to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, who tweets that the luxury tax could be looming next season. Nunn is on an expiring contract.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks provides his analysis of the trade (YouTube link). He likes the infusion of size and talent for the Lakers, but notes that Hachimura does have injury concerns — he only averaged 49 games played over his first three seasons. Marks doesn’t love the deal from Washington’s side, however. Not only is dealing away the former ninth overall pick an indictment of the team’s drafting ability, but the Wizards basically have to re-sign Kyle Kuzma in free agency now — otherwise they’ll have lost both forwards, Marks notes.

Mavericks, Kings Interested In Rui Hachimura

January 23rd, 2023 at 9:05am CST by Arthur Hill

The Mavericks and Kings are among several teams that have contacted the Wizards about Rui Hachimura, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Hachimura, who has been on a scoring tear lately, addressed trade rumors over the weekend, saying he wants to be with a team that “believes in me.” Washington faces a potential salary crunch this offseason with Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma both holding player options, and Hachimura might be expendable due to luxury tax concerns.

Hachimura is making just $6.26MM this season, so teams would have to send back at least $4.9MM in salary to Washington in any deal. Scotto notes that the Kings can use either Terence Davis or Alex Len to match Hachimura’s salary.

There had been reports that Hachimura was offered to the Suns as part of a deal for Jae Crowder, although a Wizards official denied that rumor earlier this month. Scotto hears that Washington no longer has interest in Crowder because he may not be able to make an immediate impact after such a long layoff.

Southeast Notes: Hachimura, Porzingis, Ball, Strus

January 22nd, 2023 at 9:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura may have raised his trade value with a 30-point performance Saturday night, but he wanted to avoid discussing a potential deal after the game, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. “No comment,” Hachimura told reporters when they asked if he has requested a trade, although he indicated that he’s looking for a comfortable situation, whether that’s in Washington or somewhere else.

“I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player,” Hachimura said. “And I want to be somewhere that loves my — likes my game, you know? … I just want to be somewhere that trusts, believes in me. Just I can be myself — that’s my goal.”

Wallace confirms a report from The Athletic this week that the Wizards have discussed a potential Hachimura trade with several teams. The 24-year-old became an instant starter after being selected with the ninth pick in the 2019 draft, but injuries and other roadblocks have limited his effectiveness since then. The team didn’t reach a rookie scale extension with Hachimura before the October deadline, so he’s headed for free agency this summer.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Kristaps Porzingis left Saturday’s game with a sprained ankle in the third quarter, but the Wizards are optimistic about his prognosis, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “Sprained ankle. He’ll be evaluated tomorrow,” coach Wes Unseld Jr. said after the game. “We’ll see where it is. I don’t think it’s too bad, but fingers crossed.” Porzingis has experienced frequent health issues throughout his career, but he’s been relatively injury-free this season, appearing in 41 of the team’s 46 games.
Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is quickly recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered Wednesday, but a right wrist problem may be a bigger concern, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Ball banged his wrist during the same game, which raises concerns because he had surgery on his right hand as a rookie. “The wrist had been not hurting, but ever since I broke it, it’s been the same little one (thing),” Ball said. “In Houston, I was fine with it until I hit it again … So, yeah once I get over that little hump I think I’ll be smooth.”
Max Strus‘ flexibility has been valuable for the Heat in an injury-filled season, notes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The impending free agent has played 24 games as a starter and 21 off the bench and has seen time at every position except center.

Trade Candidate Watch: Potential Restricted Free Agents

January 20th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Leading up to the February 9 trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA. We’re continuing today with a handful of players who can become restricted free agents in the offseason if they are extended qualifying offers. The full list of 2023 restricted free agents can be found right here.

Cam Reddish, F, Knicks

Like the rest of the players on this list, Reddish was a first-round pick in 2019, selected 10th overall out of Duke. He was a highly-touted prospect who has shown brief flashes of intriguing potential, but has struggled mightily with consistency, and his game hasn’t translated all that well to the pros.

The 23-year-old is earning $5.95MM in the final year of his rookie contract. The Knicks have reportedly “redoubled” their efforts to trade Reddish, and are said to be seeking second-round draft compensation for him.

Considering his modest averages in 2022/23 (8.4 PPG, 1.6 RPG and 1.0 APG on .449/.304/.879 shooting in 21.9 MPG through 20 games), the fact that he’s fallen out of New York’s rotation, hasn’t played a game in six weeks, and is essentially on an expiring contract, it’s hard to envision Reddish having positive value at this point.

I understand why the Knicks are hoping to get assets back after giving up a protected first-rounder to acquire Reddish from Atlanta last season, I just don’t view him as a rotational upgrade for the teams that are said to be interested in him, which includes the Lakers, Bucks and Mavericks.

Perhaps the Lakers will offer Kendrick Nunn and a second-rounder if they aren’t able to package Nunn for something more appealing, but that just seems like making a trade for the sake of doing something. Regardless, Reddish is likely to be on the move ahead of the deadline.

Coby White, G, Bulls

White was the seventh overall pick in 2019 out of North Carolina. Like Reddish and many other young players who enter the NBA after one college season, the combo guard has struggled with consistency in his first four seasons.

However, White’s circumstances differ from Reddish’s in other respects. He seemingly fell out of favor when the new front office regime took over in Chicago, as he was drafted by the previous lead basketball executive, Gar Forman.

White’s counting stats, minutes and production have declined since his sophomore season, which might give the impression that he hasn’t improved. But he has become a better ball-handler, a more willing passer and efficient scorer, and puts in a lot more effort on defense.

A report last week indicated White, who makes $7.4MM this season, could be shipped out of Chicago if the Bulls look for a roster upgrade.

Matisse Thybulle, G/F, Sixers

Thybulle is one of the more unique players in the NBA. He’s among the top defensive players in the league, earning All-Defensive nods each of the past two seasons, but it’s challenging to keep him on the court at times due to his very limited offensive skills.

Specialists like Thybulle used to be much more common. They have fallen out of favor in recent years because players are more well-rounded than ever before, and opposing teams have gotten better at exploiting weaknesses.

That said, if the Sixers do end up trading Thybulle, I highly doubt it will be to just dump his salary to dodge the luxury tax. His strengths are so striking that he should still have positive value, perhaps to a young team that believes it can develop his offense.

Rui Hachimura, F, Wizards

On the other end of the spectrum you have Hachimura, a talented scorer whose game is aesthetically pleasing because he can score in a variety of ways and plays with a physical edge offensively. However, he looks lost at times defensively.

When he’s on, Hachimura can look like a future star – there isn’t much you can do to stop him. The problem is, his jump shot runs hot and cold, he doesn’t get to the free throw line as much as you would expect, he isn’t much interested in passing, and he’s just an OK rebounder.

The Wizards have reportedly discussed Hachimura, who turns 25 next month, in potential deals, with some teams out West said to be interested. I get the sense that the Wizards are open to moving him more because they want to re-sign Kyle Kuzma in free agency rather than get rid of the former lottery pick. He could help a team in need of bench scoring.

P.J. Washington, F/C, Hornets

Washington is one of those jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none types who would appeal to many teams around the league. The Hornets are pretty tight-lipped and there haven’t been any concrete rumors that they’re shopping Washington, just a couple of reports that there was a difference of opinion on the value of his next contract.

The thing is, I think he would still have positive trade value even if he was making close to the $20MM per year he was reportedly seeking instead of $5.8MM, which is his current salary. That’s more than I would personally want to pay him if I were a GM, but players that roughly fit the 3-and-D archetype are always in demand.

Washington met the starter criteria earlier this month, so his qualifying offer was bumped up to $8.5MM. I would be mildly surprised if he’s moved.

Warriors Rumors: Wiseman, Moody, Kuminga, J. Green, Lamb, More

January 19th, 2023 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors‘ approach to this season’s trade deadline might resemble the path they took two years ago, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Back in 2021, Kelly Oubre was considered a potential trade chip as Golden State hovered around .500, but the team hung onto Oubre and only made two small salary-dump deals involving Marquese Chriss and Brad Wanamaker.

According to Slater, this season’s Warriors are a better bet to make moves on the fringe like those ones than to do anything drastic. That’s why former lottery picks James Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga are likely to remain in Golden State through the deadline instead of being moved, Slater adds. Those youngsters could be traded in the right deal, but the Warriors won’t want to sell low on Wiseman and Moody, and they view Kuminga as a legitimate playoff rotation piece.

If the Warriors make a small move to dump a contract and open up another roster spot, JaMychal Green would be the most obvious trade candidate, Slater observes.

The team already has one spot open on its 15-man roster, but the expectation is that two-way player Anthony Lamb will eventually be promoted to fill that spot. Opening up a second roster slot would position the Warriors to be players on the buyout market. Unlike last year, they could have both a roster and rotation spot to offer veteran free agents this time around, Slater writes.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Theoretically, big men like Jakob Poeltl or Kelly Olynyk would appeal to the Warriors, but the price will likely be too high for a Golden State team that already has Draymond Green and Kevon Looney in its frontcourt and only really needs an insurance policy, Slater writes. Sources tell The Athletic that the Dubs would be more interested in a “versatile multi-positional wing” to play a role similar to the one Otto Porter Jr. did last season.
Slater names Jalen McDaniels, Darius Bazley, Rui Hachimura, and Obi Toppin as some possible targets the Warriors could kick the tires on, but acknowledges that rival suitors would probably be in position to outbid Golden State on those sorts of players.
While Stephen Curry has been cleared to play in both parts of back-to-back sets going forward, Klay Thompson is still awaiting that same clearance, says Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. Thompson sat out on Monday after scoring a team-high 26 points on Sunday, but the expectation is that he’ll be able to play in back-to-backs at some point this season. Assuming he misses either Friday’s game after playing tonight, Thompson’s next opportunity to play in both ends of a back-to-back would be on February 1 and 2.
In a conversation with David Aldridge of The Athletic, Draymond Green says he believes he’ll eventually make the Basketball Hall of Fame. “You won’t go and look at my stats and say, ‘This guy’s a surefire Hall of Famer,'” Green said. “But if you know the game of basketball, and you look at the game of basketball, then I think I have a case.”

Wizards Discussing Potential Rui Hachimura Trades

January 18th, 2023 at 1:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards have engaged in trade discusions with multiple teams about potential deals that would include forward Rui Hachimura, according to Shams Charania and Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

While Charania and Robbins don’t offer specifics on which teams have talked to Washington about Hachimura, The Athletic’s duo says the 24-year-old has drawn interest from “several Western Conference teams in need of scoring.” The Suns are one team that fits that bill and have been previously linked to Hachimura.

Another Wizards forward, Kyle Kuzma, continues to generate interest around the league, but Washington values him highly and would like to hang onto him, per Charania and Robbins.

Kuzma, Hachimura, and Kristaps Porzingis are all eligible for free agency during the 2023 offseason, so if the Wizards were to trade Hachimura, it would put them in a better position to focus on bringing back the other two. It may also signal a level of confidence in their ability to re-sign Kuzma, The Athletic’s reporters note, since trading Hachimura and then losing Kuzma in free agency would significantly deplete the club’s forward depth.

The ninth overall pick in the 2019 draft, Hachimura has missed some time due to injury this season, but has played well when available, averaging 12.9 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .492/.346/.768 shooting in 28 games (24.2 MPG). He’s earning approximately $6.26MM this season and will become a restricted free agent in July, assuming his team issues a qualifying offer that will likely be worth about $7.74MM.