Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura
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Lakers' Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans in November 2025
The Los Angeles Lakers received encouraging news on Sunday when Rui Hachimura was removed from the injury report, clearing the way for his return ahead of Monday night’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings.
Hachimura has missed six consecutive games after suffering a right calf strain late last month. He was listed as questionable ahead of Friday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks but was ultimately ruled out.
Now, following a full weekend of progress and a complete practice workload, his absence appears set to end.
The forward spoke confidently about his recovery after practice, but the conversation quickly shifted beyond health when questions turned towards his impending free agency this summer.
Lakers Forward Addresses Contract Outlook During Injury Layoff
Hachimura is in the final year of a three-year, $51 million contract and is earning $18.2 million during the 2025-26 season. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, placing his long-term future in Los Angeles firmly under the spotlight.
Asked whether injuries impact his mindset with free agency approaching, Hachimura emphasized his focus on the present rather than contract negotiations, while also making it clear that he remains happy where he is.
“I think at the end of the day, I’m trying to help this team to win,” Hachimura said. “That’s the whole purpose of being here. I’ve been here for four seasons now. I think I’m one of the guys that has been here the longest too, so I’m happy to be here playing with these guys. The coaches and everybody, I love these guys.”
“Of course the contract and stuff is coming up. But at the end of the day I’m just trying to focus on everyday, just in the moment. We got a second half that is coming. As a team too, but for me, we got to ramp it up.”
Before going down with the calf injury, Hachimura had been one of the Lakers’ most reliable rotation pieces. He’s averaging 12.7 points and 3.8 rebounds over 27 games, while shooting 52.1% from the field and a career-high 44.5% from three-point range on 4.1 attempts per game.
Los Angeles have felt his absence offensively. Over the last six games, the Lakers have slipped to 23rd in offensive rating at 108.8 and rank 25th in three-point percentage at 34.2%.
Hachimura will be eligible for a four-year, $114.5 million extension this summer. Whether the Lakers are willing to commit to that figure remains uncertain, and like teammate Austin Reaves, his future could hinge on how both sides approach free agency.
Lakers Plan Cautious Reintegration for Hachimura
Despite his availability, the Lakers intend to take a measured approach with Hachimura’s return. Head coach JJ Redick confirmed that the forward will be on a minutes restriction and is expected to come off the bench initially.
“He’s going to be on a minutes restriction when he comes back,” Redick said. “He’ll likely come off the bench, similar to what we did with [Austin Reaves], when he was on his minutes restriction.”
Hachimura’s ability to defend multiple positions and knock down open shots has been difficult to replace. In his absence, Jake LaRavia has benefited most, stepping into the starting lineup and logging increased minutes.
LaRavia is expected to remain with the first unit in the short-term as Hachimura ramps back up.
The Lakers view Hachimura’s return less as a lineup debate and more as a necessary boost to overall depth. That need is magnified by Los Angeles’ ongoing second-unit struggles, as the team currently ranks last in the NBA in bench scoring at 24.9 points per game.
Getting Hachimura back, even in a limited role, should help stabilize the rotation and restore line-up flexibility as the Lakers continue to jockey for position in the Western Conference standings.
Los Angeles enters the week fifth at 23-13, 2.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs in second place.