Lakers Rumors: Rui Hachimura to Be Traded to LA from Wizards for Kendrick Nunn, Picks

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The Los Angeles Lakers are adding reinforcements around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The team traded Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to the Washington Wizards for Rui Hachimura:

The Wizards’ willingness to trade the young power forward was prompted by the excellent play of Kyle Kuzma and the team’s hope that it can sign him to a long-term contract in the offseason, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and NBA reporter Marc Stein.

Additionally, the Wizards weren’t able to agree with Hachimura on a rookie-deal extension before October’s deadline, making him a restricted free agent after the 2022-23 season. While the Wizards could have matched any offer sheet he signed, trading him now and focusing their offseason on retaining Kuzma made sense.

Hachimura, 24, made 118 starts for the Wizards in his first three seasons but exclusively came off the bench for the team this campaign. He was still productive, averaging 13.0 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three.

While both James and Davis can play the 4 and Hachimura doesn’t dramatically improve the team’s floor spacing or three-point shooting, he’ll add another big body on the wing, a need for the Lakers.

Plus, Nunn was largely a non-factor and the Lakers are seemingly banking on the potential of Hachimura in what may only end up being a cheap rental. At the very least, he’ll be expected to offer far more of an impact than Nunn.

Hachimura seemingly will be happy to change locales.

“I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player, and I want to be somewhere that likes my game,” he told reporters Saturday.

It would appear he was granted that wish.