Clippers Land Rui Hachimura for $28 Million After Lakers Show No Interest in Re-signing

28-year-old Japanese forward Rui Hachimura is on the move this summer, though he won’t have to look far for a new home. He’ll simply be switching allegiances in Los Angeles, with the Clippers snapping him up after the Lakers showed little interest in re-signing him in free agency.

The 6-foot-8 forward has reportedly agreed to a 2-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers. According to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, the second year of the deal carries a team option, and he was signed through the Clippers' mid-level exception.

Hachimura seemed to want to remain in LA, but the Lakers did not want him back.

Per Shams Charania, the Clippers and Hachimura had been waiting on his former team to get a sign-and-trade deal done. However, the Lakers did not reciprocate, so the Clippers' front office went ahead and got a deal done with the Japanese star.

Since the Lakers did not engage in a sign-and-trade, they allowed Hachimura to walk away completely without getting anything in return. Fischer also added that, despite this deal, the Clippers are still not done pursuing Peyton Watson.

Hachimura was a core part of Lakers head coach JJ Redick's schemes last season as a floor spacer. He played in 68 games, starting in 41. In those outings, he averaged 11.5 points while hitting on 44.3 percent on his 3-pointers, while averaging 3.9 attempts. He also posted a career-low 3.3 rebounds per game.

In the postseason, he ramped up his production. He started in each of the Lakers' 10 playoff games and averaged 17.5 points while hitting 56.9 percent of the 5.8 3-pointers he attempted per contest.

Hachimura will surely be missed by the Lakers. But that doesn’t mean the franchise is without a plan. They’re already making other moves as they officially transition from the LeBron James era into the Luka Doncic era, reshaping the roster with several arrivals and departures over the last few weeks.

What Moves Has the Los Angeles Lakers Done This Offseason

The biggest story for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is the departure of LeBron James in free agency. The 41-year-old forward reportedly wasn’t even interested in taking a meeting or hearing the Lakers’ offer.

Aside from James, the Lakers have also lost Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes, and Marcus Smart.

Smart and Kennard are now headed to the Lakers’ Western Conference rivals, signing with the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns, respectively. Meanwhile, Hayes signed with the Utah Jazz.

The Lakers also traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards. In return, they received Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks in 2031 and 2032.

It’s not all losses for the Lakers, though. This offseason, they finally addressed a long-standing need at center by acquiring defensive specialist Walker Kessler. In exchange, the Utah Jazz received unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.

The Lakers also agreed to sign free agents Sando Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton.

Another key addition in the post-LeBron era is Baylor product Cameron Carr, whom the Lakers acquired in a draft-night trade with the New York Knicks after he was selected 24th overall in the most recent NBA Draft.