For a minute there, it looked like Rui Hachimura might end up in San Antonio. Some reports earlier this offseason even linked the Lakers forward to the Spurs as a possible free-agent addition. But according to what league insiders are now saying, those rumors were never really grounded in reality.
ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reported Friday that while the Spurs did have conversations with Hachimura’s representatives, those talks never got serious. Like, not even close. The front office had a different priority entirely: veteran experience on a short-term deal. And that pointed them straight at Tobias Harris.
“Although the San Antonio Spurs were brought up as a potential suitor for Hachimura earlier this offseason, he wasn’t viewed as a realistic option for the franchise, sources said,” Siegel wrote. “While the organization did speak with Hachimura’s representation, the Spurs were targeting experience and veteran leadership on a short-term contract rather than a long-term commitment. That is why Tobias Harris was the Spurs’ top target, and they didn’t have much interest in Hachimura.”
So what happened next? Pretty simple. The Spurs moved fast. On Wednesday, they signed Harris to a two-year, $31 million contract. That’s a shorter commitment than what Hachimura would have required, and it gives San Antonio the kind of steady, playoff-tested forward who can help right now — especially after the team just made an NBA Finals run built around Victor Wembanyama.
Harris spent the last two seasons with the Detroit Pistons, putting up 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 46.9% shooting overall and 36.8% from three during the regular season. But it was his postseason performance that really caught San Antonio’s eye. Over 14 playoff games, he averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals before the Pistons fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game second-round series.
Hachimura, meanwhile, had a quietly efficient year with the Lakers. The 28-year-old averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 boards while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from deep in 68 games. In the playoffs, those numbers jumped to 17.5 points and 54.9% shooting overall, including a blistering 56.9% from three-point range. But the Lakers got swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, and Hachimura’s long-term price tag apparently gave San Antonio pause.
This whole situation came into focus after NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported that both the Spurs and the Brooklyn Nets had expressed interest in Hachimura, especially while San Antonio was sorting through Harrison Barnes’ pending free agency. But the Spurs had other plans.
That’s the thing about building around a generational talent like Wembanyama. You want guys who’ve been through the grind, who know how to handle playoff pressure, and who won’t tie up your cap for years. Harris checks those boxes. Hachimura is a solid player, no question, but the Spurs saw him as a longer-term investment that didn’t fit their timeline.
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