Rui Hachimura might be on his way out of Los Angeles.
The Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs are both interested in signing Hachimura away from the Lakers in free agency, per NBA reporters Marc Stein and Jake Fischer. The 28-year-old wing played his way out of L.A.’s price range with a strong playoff run, and now two contenders for very different reasons are circling.
These are two completely different fits. In Brooklyn, Hachimura would walk into a featured role alongside Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle. He could see 18 to 20 shots a night and post the best counting numbers of his career. The Nets are still climbing out of the LaMelo Ball reset, but they are also trying to look competitive while they do it.
San Antonio offers something different. The Spurs are an actual contender. Hachimura there would replace veteran forward Harrison Barnes in the rotation. Barnes lost his spot last postseason and remains a free agent. Hachimura is a younger, more athletic version of that exact archetype.
For the Spurs, this is about depth more than star power. Their starting five is set. What they need is a reliable wing who can hit threes, switch on defense, and not crumble when the lights get bright. Hachimura checked all three of those boxes against the Nuggets and Thunder in the playoffs.
The Lakers’ problem is simple math. Rob Pelinka already committed big money to Austin Reaves on a max deal. The cap is what it is. Hachimura’s price point shot up just as Pelinka was running out of room. Something had to give.
Hachimura is not the only Lakers veteran in jeopardy. Marcus Smart is also reportedly drawing interest from the Houston Rockets and could walk. The Lakers might lose two key rotation pieces in the same week.
This is the part of building around an aging superstar that nobody enjoys. The Lakers have committed so much money to keep their core intact that they cannot retain the role players who made them functional. They will replace Hachimura with someone, but it probably will not be a 28-year-old wing coming off a breakout postseason.
For Hachimura, the choice between Brooklyn and San Antonio comes down to what he values most. Brooklyn means money and shots. San Antonio means winning. He has spent his career on teams chasing rings, so the Spurs feel like the natural fit if the dollars are close.
But this is also the time when guys cash in. Hachimura is 28. This is probably his last big contract. If Brooklyn comes in with a multi-year offer worth $25-plus million per season, that is hard to turn down even for a chance to play meaningful June basketball.
The Lakers, meanwhile, will spin this as a salary cap reality. Pelinka has hard choices to make and not enough money to keep everyone. Whether the team’s core can survive losing Hachimura is the real question, and we will find out as soon as next season tips off.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
