The Los Angeles Lakers made a lot of moves at the trade deadline this past season, but perhaps none more impactful than acquiring Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards.
The Lakers sent Kendrick Nunn and a trio of second-round draft picks to the Wizards for the former lottery pick, hoping a change of scenery would do wonders for the talented Japanese forward.
That is exactly how it played out as despite averaging just 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in the regular season with the Lakers, Hachimura really came on in the postseason. With the ability to score in a variety of ways in addition to new-found defensive toughness, Hachimura played a big part in the Lakers making it to the Western Conference Finals.
In 16 postseason games, the 25-year-old averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting an impressive 55.7% from the field and 48.7% from 3-point range.
The hot streak came at a good time as not only did it help the Lakers win, but it also set Hachimura up for a nice payday in restricted free agency.
Despite interest from a number of teams, Hachimura will be staying in L.A. as the Lakers are re-signing him to a three-year, $51 million contract, via Shams Charania of The Athletic:
RFA Rui Hachimura has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal to return to the Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2023
Hachimura was projected to get around $15 million annually in free agency at the start of the offseason, so this contract is a little higher than what was expected.
At the end of the 2022-23 season, Hachimura made it clear that he enjoyed his short time in L.A. and would like to stay. Now, he gets his wish and will have the opportunity to continue building along with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and all of the other Lakers players that will be returning for the 2023-24 season.
It remains to be seen how the roster will shake out, but Hachimura may have an opportunity to compete for a starting spot once training camp rolls around.
Lakers also sign Vincent and Prince
The first day of free agency has been a busy one for the Lakers as in addition to re-signing Hachimura, they have also signed Gabe Vincent to a three-year contract and Taurean Prince to a one-year deal.
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