Los Angeles Lakers Re-Signing Rui Hachimura, Rumors

By | Bullscore 9 Jun, 2023

Rui Hachimura played a big role in the Lakers’ rising through the ranks in NBA 2K23 season. At the start of the current season, the Lakers’ performance wasn’t good and they ended up on the second-worst team. But then due to Rui’s great contribution, they managed to reach the Western Conference Finals by season’s end.

Hachimura did really well in the playoffs. He scored an average of 12.2 points per game, and he made 55.7 percent of his shots from the field and 48.7 percent of his shots from beyond the three-point line. He also played great defense for the Los Angeles team.

This is a great time for Hachimura because he’s become a free agent this summer. Some other teams are also interested in getting him and have shown their desire to sign him away from the Lakers.

So, will Hachimura stay with the Lakers or decide to move to any other team?

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said that it’s “dicey.”

“Initially, I heard he turned down a contract extension offer from Washington that was in that $14-15 million range (annually)…

“He stepped up big time in the playoffs. If Austin [Reaves] was their third-best player most nights, I’d say Rui was their fourth-best player most nights,” he continued.

“I think his market is anywhere in that $15-18 million range annually. In that range, the Lakers would retain him. I think where it gets a little dicey is if there’s a team that sells themselves on Rui and offers three years, $60 million or four years, $80 million.”

During his exit interviews, Rui said that he loved playing for the Lakers.

“It was one of the best times of my life,” he said.

“Literally three months ago, four months ago I was in a different team on the east coast and all of a sudden I’m here in LA, one of the biggest teams in the NBA, and making this crazy run.”

Let’s see what happens in upcoming matches and will Rui stays with the Lakers or not.