Lakers, Lakers trade, Rui Hachimura
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Rui Hachimura #28 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with teammates Austin Reaves #15, Jake LaRavia #12 and Deandre Ayton #5 after making the game winning three-point shot against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on December 4, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Veteran forward Rui Hachimura reportedly has very little trade value, spelling bad news for the Los Angeles Lakers in their pursuit of making roster upgrades ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Lakers, who own only one tradeable first-round pick, are unable to match the New Orleans Pelicans‘ asking price of two first-rounders for Herbert Jones, their reported No. 1 trade target. And the other issue is that none of their expiring contracts — Gabe Vincent ($11.5M), Maxi Kleber ($11M) and Rui Hachimura ($18.2M) — have any trade value around the league.
“…There isn’t a market for virtually any of their players, including Rui Hachimura on an expiring $18.2 million contract,” Siegel reported on Dec. 12. “With limited options out there, the only way to move some of their contracts, both expiring and non-expiring, would be attaching draft picks, which Los Angeles doesn’t have many of.”
Hachimura — shooting a career-high 44.5% from three — has been the Lakers’ most efficient and consistent knockdown shooter this season, which is saying a lot for a team that ranks dead-last in the league in 3P%. However, his defense remains an issue, which doesn’t bode well for an already offensively-skewed Lakers roster.
Lakers Trade Deadline Plans
The Lakers were previously expected to combine two of the expiring contracts of Vincent, Kleber ($11M) and Hachimura, along with a first-round draft pick, to pursue a high-level player such as Jones, Andrew Wiggins or Trey Murphy III.
There are increasing signs that the Lakers could settle for a lesser name, with some insiders linking them to the Chicago Bulls‘ Isaac Okoro, LA Clippers’ Derrick Jones Jr. and the Charlotte Hornets’ Josh Green. There has also been chatter that they could target Ayo Dosunmu, though there’s no indication the Bulls want to trade him.
“It is very reasonable to believe that the Lakers will make a very small move at the trade deadline using the contract of either Gabe Vincent or Maxi Kleber,” added Siegel.
Top Lakers Trade Asset: 2032 Pick
Siegel’s reporting lines up with The Athletic’s Dan Woike, who noted on Monday that the Lakers are fully intent on holding onto their only first-round pick by the NBA trade deadline, as doing so would arm them with three first-rounders over the summer.
Woike explained why the Lakers will likely pull out of their pursuit of Wiggins, as the Heat seek one first-round pick and multiple rotational players in a potential deal.
“If we’re speaking in a technical sense, the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick is probably their most valuable trade asset,” Woike wrote.
“However, trading that pick would lock the team’s ability to trade the 2031 pick now and the 2033 pick this summer. So, yeah, the 2032 pick probably isn’t going anywhere. With [Andrew] Wiggins, I don’t know if he’s really available or if he’s worth it at this price point. Again, would adding Wiggins make the Lakers so much better that they’d decide to ignore their plans?”
The Lakers’ reluctance to trade the pick could also remove them from their pursuit of Keon Ellis, since the Sacramento Kings covet a draft asset for their 3-and-D wing.
If the Lakers hold onto the 2032 pick, they’d be armed with three first-rounders and more than $60M of cap space this summer, allowing them to go big-name hunting.