The Lakers cannot keep everyone. Rui Hachimura might be the one they let go.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported this week that Hachimura could be the odd man out for Los Angeles in free agency. The Lakers want to bring back Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, both of whom are also free agents, and the math gets ugly if Hachimura also returns at his expected market price.
That is the cost of running it back when LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves are all in your top four. The Lakers need to add a starting center. They need to keep their guards. The forward depth is the line that bends.
Why Hachimura Is Worth Keeping if They Can
Hachimura just had his best playoff run as a Laker. He averaged 17.5 points and 4.0 rebounds and started every game in the postseason. He shot the ball with confidence. He defended switches against bigger forwards. He fit the Doncic-Reaves-James spacing better than anyone in the rotation other than Reaves.
That production is exactly why he is going to be expensive. Hachimura is 28, a former lottery pick, and now a known commodity as a playoff starter. The teams with cap space this summer are going to bid. Houston, Brooklyn, and Charlotte all have flexibility. Hachimura is the kind of name a team can dangle a real offer at and turn the Lakers’ hand.
The Lakers do not have a great answer. They are over the cap. They are deep into the second apron once they re-sign their own. They cannot just match. They have to choose.
Smart is the move that makes the most sense. Doncic has been quietly pushing for more defensive help in the backcourt for two seasons. Smart is one of the few perimeter defenders left in the league who can take pressure off Reaves and James. He also takes corner threes and does not need the ball.
Kennard is the cheaper bet. He is a knockdown shooter who fits any lineup. The Lakers have used him in closing units and would like to keep him on a smaller deal.
That leaves Hachimura. The Lakers can pitch him a smaller number with the promise of more touches in lineups without James. The pitch might not be enough. He is in the prime earning year of his career, and a starting forward role somewhere else might pay more and start more.
The bigger Lakers story is Doncic. He reportedly told the front office he wants the team to add an impact center this offseason. Names like Jalen Duren, Mitchell Robinson, and Robert Williams III have all been linked. Pulling off any of those moves takes money the Lakers do not have if they keep Hachimura.
The Lakers are also trying to figure out James’ situation. He has a player option. He could be back. He could walk. The decisions cascade in every direction.
Hachimura is the easiest piece to imagine leaving. That is the trap of being the fifth-best player on a contender. You are great. You are needed. You are also the first one to get squeezed when the cap math hits.
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.
