The San Antonio Spurs had a season that no one saw coming. They made it all the way to the NBA Finals where the New York Knicks defeated them in five games, and now the front office is in a position to really bring in players to complement the promising core that they have.
Free agency opens soon, and the Spurs are already being linked to one of the better wings on the market.
The 28-year-old Rui Hachimura is now an unrestricted free agent as his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers came to an end. He enjoyed a significant breakout in the playoffs, averaging 17.5 points on a very efficient 56.9% shooting from beyond the arc. Naturally, this made teams all over the league interested in him.
The Spurs are one of the teams paying attention. So are the Brooklyn Nets. Both franchises have emerged as suitors for Hachimura, and now there is a report to back it up.
Spurs Among Teams Pursuing Rui Hachimura in NBA Free Agency
GettySpurs Eyeing $27 Million Lakers Free Agent After NBA Finals Run
“Brooklyn keeps coming up as a likely suitor, too, for the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura, league sources say. The Nets and Spurs are two teams we’ve heard have interest in adding Hachimura’s services, while the Spurs are also faced with resolving Harrison Barnes’ future as the veteran forward heads to unrestricted free agency,” per Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
Barnes has been a solid veteran for San Antonio, but he is hitting free agency with no guarantee of coming back. That leaves a hole at the four, and Hachimura fills it almost exactly.
He is the kind of stretch forward who can play next to Victor Wembanyama without crowding him, space the floor, and hold his own defensively on the wing.
The Spurs have the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, around $15 million. That is enough to make a serious run at him.
Can the Lakers Actually Keep Hachimura?
GettySpurs Could Steal $27 Million Forward From Lakers in Free Agency
Los Angeles wants him back. Hachimura has said publicly he loves being a Laker. The money situation, though, tells a different story.
Austin Reaves has just been handed a max extension contract. LeBron James’ comeback remains a work-in-progress. Besides, the management team has an urgent need to identify their center position starter. With numerous salary cap related decisions coming down the pipeline, the Lakers could, very well, give up on Hachimura if they are looking for cap space this summer. If they renounce his rights to free up the cap room, he can sign with any team of his choice.
For Spurs fans, this one is worth watching closely. Hachimura is the type of player this team needs around Wembanyama, a shooter who can also defend, a proven playoff performer, and someone who fits the style of play San Antonio has been building toward. If the Lakers blink, the Spurs should be ready to make the call.
Spurs Proposed to Land $27 Million Lakers Star to Help Victor Wembanyama