There is not a bigger single figure over the side of the Los Angeles Lakers whose future people will be interested to know more about than LeBron James. That said, someone like Rui Hachimura should still be able to generate attention. Hachimura’s name has been appearing in trade rumors of late, as Los Angeles is expected to have a busy offseason following an early dismissal from the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Los Angeles Lakers’ stance on Rui Hachimura

But according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers are not necessarily intent on dealing the former Gonzaga Bulldogs star away via a trade (h/t Adam Wells of Bleacher Report).
Despite having a lot of big decisions to make this offseason, trading Rui Hachimura doesn’t appear to be something the Los Angeles Lakers feel they need to do.
On the Buha’s Block YouTube Show (starts at 18:40 mark), The Athletic’s Jovan Buha explained the Lakers aren’t “actively” shopping or looking to trade Hachimura this summer.
That being said, nothing makes Hachimura immune from a sudden desire by the Lakers to trade him. He carries a mid-size contract that will pay him $17 million in the 2024-25 NBA season and $18.26 million in the 2025-26 NBA campaign before hitting the free agent market in 2026.
Hachimura was among the players rumored to be on the trade block before last February’s deadline but he ultimately was not moved. This time around, there’s more time for the Lakers to think about his future in La La Land, which will also depend on how much attention he gets from other teams among other factors.

In the 2023-24 NBA season, Hachimura averaged 13.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from behind the arc.

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