The Los Angeles Lakers have announced an injury update on a key forward’s fate for the rest of the week.
Per Mike Trudell of Spectrum Sportsnet, starting Los Angeles forward Rui Hachimura will miss at least the next two contests on LA’s slate with a calf injury.
Hachimura, who’s on the final season of a three-year, $51 million deal with Los Angeles, has been the source of some debate for the 2025-26 Lakers.
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The Gonzaga product is easily the Lakers’ fourth- or fifth-best player in terms of two-way ability, and thus by merit deserves his starting role in Redick’s rotation. But it’s clear that the Lakers are sorely lacking perimeter defense in their starting unit, thanks especially to the efforts of sieve stars Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Center Deandre Ayton is a totally capable defensive center and rim roller, although he no longer has his early-career athleticism.
Former three-time All-Defensive Team guard Marcus Smart, an incongruous fit as a 6-foot-3 guard who can’t really defend big forwards, is LA’s best perimeter defender. Jarred Vanderbilt is solid, too, but his offensive abilities are so middling (he’s not even a great finisher, a big no-no for a big guy) that Redick has been reticent to play him much. Smart has taken over as a fill-in starter for Reaves.
Through 27 healthy games, the 6-foot-8 pro has been averaging 12.7 points on .521/.445/.750 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists a night. He’d be a huge asset off the bench for the 20-10 Lakers, although they would miss his defensive presence in the post - if not along the perimeter.
Hachimura is the kind of quality performer LA may be able to dangle in trade talks if it is looking for a cleaner fit at forward next to LeBron James this year. But he also meshes well alongside Doncic and Reaves, and conceivably could be a core part of the Lakers’ post-James future next season and beyond.
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