Lakers hoping for offensive boost from latest acquisition
With 35 games left and a shot at the playoffs still in reach, the Los Angeles Lakers are adding much-needed help in the form of Rui Hachimura, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Per ESPN, the Lakers (22-25) are sending Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to the Wizards for the former Japanese professional star.
The deal includes a 2023 second-round pick via Chicago, Los Angeles' own in 2029 and the less favorable of the Wizards' and Lakers' 2028 second-round picks, sources told ESPN senior NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
The 24-year-old Hachimura, who has played in 30 games this season, averages 13 points. He has played exclusively off the bench, but also has plenty of experience starting if needed.
With the ability to shoot over almost any player and drive to the bucket, he has multiple ways to impact a game offensively. Hachimura scored a career-high 30 points twice this season, including his final game with the Wizards.
Hachimura occasionally shows flashes as a defender, but defense is not his forte. The Lakers, who stand 12th in the Western Conference, primarily made the trade for his scoring ability.
"I just want to be somewhere that wants me as a basketball player,'' Hachimura told reporters last week, per ESPN.com. "And I want to be somewhere that likes my game."
Since the cost was insignificant, the Lakers can still dip into the market before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
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