Last Updated on 01/24/2023 by てんしょく飯
On January 23, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and other media outlets reported that the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers have reached a trade agreement. The Lakers will acquire Hachimura from the Wizards in exchange for Kendrick Nunn, who is in the fourth year of his career, and three future (2023, 28, 29) second-round draft picks.
Rui Hachimura will wear the NBA’s traditional “purple and gold” uniforms.
As of press time, the trade is in principle agreed upon and will be finalized depending on the draft picks that the Lakers send to the Wizards.
The Wizards, who did not sign Hachimura to an extension before the start of the season, began full-scale trade negotiations with other teams the previous week. Several Western Conference teams were reportedly interested in Hachimura.
In the fourth year of his career, Hachimura has played in 30 games (all bench starts) and averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 48.8% field goal success rate, 33.7% 3-point success rate, and 75.9% free throw success rate in 24.3 minutes of playing time. The “Japanese Treasure,” who turns 25 next month, will join the ranks of new NBA “King” LeBron James and eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis.
Also new to the team is Russell Westbrook, who played with the team a season ago and was affectionately known as “Sempai. The Lakers also have center Thomas Bryant and swingman Troy Brown Jr. as teammates from their days with the Wizards.
The Lakers are one of the NBA’s most prestigious teams, boasting 17 championships, tied for the most in the league. Although LeBron, the 38-year-old mainstay of the team, is struggling this season, the team is currently ranked 12th in the Western Conference with a 22-25 record (46.5% winning percentage). Davis has been out since mid-December with an injury, and the team has been fighting an unstable battle. Hachimura is expected to play a role as a scorer to ease the burden on LeBron and Davis.
According to local reports, the Lakers are looking to sign Hachimura, who will become a restricted FA this summer, to an extension.
The number of his new team and his debut game are undecided at this point, but we are looking forward to seeing how the Japanese ace will play for one of the most popular and high-profile teams in the league.
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