Two Teams Just Made Their Pitch to Rui Hachimura and the Lakers Might Be in Trouble

Rui Hachimura is still sitting on the free agent board, and that silence has a lot of people around the NBA thinking the Lakers are cooking something up behind the scenes. But while L.A. figures out its next move, two other teams have already made their pitches.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported Wednesday that both the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves have reached out to the 28-year-old forward. That’s significant because Hachimura, who just turned in a monster playoff run, might be the best player left unsigned on the market right now.

Hachimura averaged 17.5 points and 4 rebounds in the postseason while shooting nearly 57% from three. That kind of efficiency from a versatile forward who can guard multiple positions? That doesn’t grow on trees. And both Golden State and Minnesota know it.

How Hachimura fits in Golden State

The Warriors are still trying to figure out their whole LeBron James situation. That pursuit is very real, but it’s also extremely complicated. Hachimura would be a much cheaper consolation prize. We’re talking maybe $15 million a year versus whatever insane number LeBron would demand. He slides into that motion offense pretty naturally too. He can spot up, cut off the ball, and switch defensively. Steve Kerr would find ways to use him.

Minnesota’s pitch is about the third scorer role

Over in Minnesota, the Timberwolves already have Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball running the show. What they don’t have is a reliable third option who can stretch the floor and play off those two. Hachimura could be that guy. He’s proven he doesn’t need the ball in his hands all the time to be effective, and Minnesota needs exactly that kind of addition after losing some depth in recent moves.

The Lakers are in an interesting spot here. They just lost LeBron, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes. That’s a lot of roster turnover. They gave Sandro Mamukelashvili a four-year, $52 million deal, which feels like insurance if Hachimura walks. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin noted that several league sources wonder if L.A. is trying to clear space by stretching someone like Jarred Vanderbilt or Deandre Ayton to free up more money for Hachimura.

But the longer he stays unsigned, the more you have to wonder if the Lakers are actually going to pull it off. Golden State and Minnesota are already in active pursuit. They’ve made their offers, or at least their cases. Hachimura has a decision to make, and it might not involve staying in L.A. at all.