The Lakers are about to lose one of their starting five, and according to a new report, it is Rui Hachimura who is heading for the exit.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported this week that Hachimura could be the odd man out in Los Angeles when free agency opens. The report suggests Hachimura may have priced himself out of what the Lakers are willing to pay, and the team is more focused on retaining Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard while addressing other roster needs around LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Luka Doncic.
This is the cold math of NBA roster construction. Hachimura is a good player. He has earned a real payday. The Lakers have other priorities and only so much money to spread around, which means a player they like and want to keep might end up wearing a different jersey next season.
The numbers explain part of why this is so complicated. Hachimura averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in the regular season. That is solid bench-level production, but the kind of player who could be replaced cheaper. Then the playoffs happened. Hachimura raised his game and averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds, starting every single playoff game for Los Angeles.
That is the player teams pay for. A 28-year-old, 6-foot-8 forward who can shoot, defend multiple positions, and elevate his production in the postseason is exactly the kind of asset that draws aggressive offers in free agency. And the Lakers, with their cap situation, cannot match aggressive offers without sacrificing other roster pieces they need.
The other big issue is Luka Doncic’s ultimatum. Doncic has reportedly made clear to the front office that he needs an impact center to be added to the roster, and the team has been linked to potential targets like Jalen Duren. Adding a center costs money. The Lakers do not have unlimited cap space to keep Hachimura while also bringing in a starting-caliber big man.
Then there is LeBron’s situation. James is a free agent, and while everyone expects him to be back in some form, the Lakers still have to budget for his contract. Reaves is going to need a real deal. Smart and Kennard are reportedly on the radar to return. Add all of those numbers together and you see why Hachimura is the player most likely to be the casualty.
The Japanese forward has been a quiet success story for the Lakers since he arrived from the Wizards three years ago. He grew into a real role, became a reliable scorer off the bench and in the starting lineup, and showed up in the biggest moments of the playoffs when the team needed him.
Losing him would hurt. It would also be the kind of move every contender ends up making at some point. You cannot keep everyone. Doncic is the most important player on the roster, his demands have to be met, and the Lakers have to make tough calls about which complementary pieces stay and which go.
Hachimura is going to find a real contract somewhere. He has the playoff résumé, the size, and the skill set to draw interest from a number of teams looking for a forward who can score and defend. The Heat, the Spurs, the Bulls, and several other clubs with cap room could come calling.
This is the kind of move that makes Lakers fans nervous and Doncic’s camp comfortable. The team is shaping the roster around their superstar’s vision, and Hachimura’s exit is going to be a casualty of that bigger plan.
The Lakers were always going to look different in 2026-27. They just probably did not expect their second-best playoff scorer to be the one walking out the door.
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.
