The end of Rui Hachimura’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers saw him choosing to sign with the same town rival. Hachimura joined the Los Angeles Clippers in NBA free agency and played his first game against the Lakers last night. Despite losing the game, Hachimura was in positive spirits afterwards when asked about the experience. Former Lakers teammates greeted Hachimura, and Lakers fans still showed love for him.
Hachimura expressed the following appreciation after the game:
“Yeah, it feels good. I miss all those guys, the players, the coaches. They got some new guys, but the trainers and all that. Yeah, it was good to see them. It was literally after the last season, so it was a great moment with them. And yeah, I talk some stuff with them, too. So, yeah, it was a fun time.”
The post-game interview also showed Hachimura wanting to focus on his new role with the Lakers. However, there was a lot of love exchanged since Hachimura was among the longest tenured Lakers before his departure. Both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves had nice reunion moments with Hachimura to show the connection is still there, despite playing for rival Los Angeles basketball teams now.
Why Lakers Let Rui Hachimura Leave
The Lakers losing Hachimura upset a lot of fans when looking over the offseason moves. Fans were mentally prepared to lose LeBron James due to the shift in the team being built around Luka and no longer prioritizing the all-time great superstar.
Hachimura was a consistent member of the Lakers for many years, but his value grew around the league for good reason. The contract desired by Hachimura became too high for the Lakers once they re-signed Reaves and signed Walker Kessler to an expensive contract.
The Clippers needed help badly after the Kawhi Leonard offseason scandal harmed the franchise’s ability to draft their own picks for years. Hachimura made sense as someone who didn’t want to leave Los Angeles. The Lakers didn’t seriously negotiate with Hachimura upon realizing his value and let him walk to the rival.
Lakers Path Without Veteran Forwards Looking Good
The gamble on losing both James and Hachimura saw the Lakers failing to replace them with noteworthy names. Role players Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle have started both games at the forward positions to see them prioritizing defense from those roles.
Hachimura was a better all-around player than those due to his outside shooting. However, the overall changes to the Lakers roster appears to be positive so far. Kessler’s great play at center sees the Lakers drastically better on both ends in the paint. This allows the risky forward plays to have less pressure on them.
Hachimura was expendable to the Lakers once they had to choose between him and a trustworthy center. The Clippers now see Hachimura as one of the most important players on a roster led by Darius Garland and Brandon Ingram. Time will tell the full story on whether the Lakers and Hachimura each made the right decision this past summer.
Rui Hachimura Showed Love To Lakers After Clippers Debut