Paying role players was far from a popular move during the 2025 offseason. The new NBA CBA has not been friendly to those that are not at least bordering on stardom. The Los Angeles Lakers may be forced to ignore that trend with Rui Hachimura.
Hachimura is in the last year of his three-year, $51 million contract with the Lakers, collecting close to $18.3 million as an expiring contract. The Lakers forward will hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2026, forcing Rob Pelinka and company to ponder what is next.
To some capacity, Hachimura has made that decision easy for Los Angeles. No one in their right mind should be looking at the sharpshooting forward and seeing anything other than an excellent long-term fit for the Lakers' future with Luka Doncic.
Rui Hachimura's skill set should push Lakers into a predictable move
Doncic is a player who necessitates having strong shooting around him. There are just way too many opportunities for great perimeter looks to have players who cannot capitalize on those chances.
The Lakers have not been a good shooting team to start the 2025-26 season. Los Angeles currently ranks 21st in the NBA when it comes to their 3-point percentage. They have posted a lackluster 33.9 percent from beyond the arc as a collective unit.
The Lakers similarly struggle on catch-and-shoot attempts from distance. They are only marginally better on those chances, knocking down 34.4 percent, the ninth-worst mark in the NBA at the moment.
Hachimura does not share in those struggles. Rui has been the exception to what the Lakers have done in those categories.
On the whole, Hachimura is averaging a career high in points per game, dropping 16.3 a night, this season. The 27-year-old is also enjoying career highs in field goal percentage (58.6) and true shooting percentage (69.7).
When it comes to making it rain from 3-point land, Hachimura is connecting on 52.4 percent of his 3.8 attempts per game. Rui leads the Lakers in catch-and-shoot triples (minimum 0.5 attempted per game) too, converting 52.5 percent of his 3.6 opportunities a night.
When it comes to paying Hachimura in the offseason, the Lakers simply cannot afford to give up this kind of production unless an equally reliable replacement is walking through that door. Doncic can certainly take an average shooter and make them good. However, great shooters become extraordinary around Luka. Rui is proving that so far in 2025-26.