Grading the Clippers' Rui Hachimura Signing

The Los Angeles Clippers found their John Collins replacement on Day 7 of free agency. After losing their starting power forward to the Detroit Pistons, the Clippers found a quality replacement on Monday. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Clippers are signing a two-year, $28 million deal with Rui Hachimura.

This signing shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody, as Hachimura was one of the best free agents remaining on the market, and the Clippers desperately needed a forward. They also had the cap flexibility to sign the 28-year-old. In fact, Hachimura was one of the names I highlighted in my piece after Collins' departure.

Hachimura Fills a Clear Need for the Clippers

Hachimura has been an important part of the Lakers' success over the last several years, playing in 36 playoff games in four seasons. Last season, he averaged over 38.6 minutes per game, putting up 17.5 points per game on 56.9% from downtown on a whopping 3.3 makes per game. This was a continuation of a trend of pushing his game to another level in the postseason for Hachimura. In fact, his 51.6% accuracy from three in his playoff career leads the NBA all-time leaderboard.

Shooting is Hachimura's calling card. He shot over 40% from downtown in each of the last three seasons. He will fit perfectly on the Clippers, who project to have good shooting in all five positions in their starting lineup. This five-out spacing could boost the Clippers' offense and allow them to punch above their weight.

The rest of Hachimura's game is a mixed bag. He has had solid defensive moments, especially guarding bigger players. His defense on Nikola Jokic was impressive at times during the Lakers' playoff series against Denver. Yet, he is not a high-end option on that end as he lacks elite strength, length, and athleticism.

He also does little in terms of passing and playmaking. He is more of a finisher than a creator. Given LA's abundance of creators like Darius Garland, Keaton Wagler, and Brandon Ingram, this shouldn't be a problem.

LA has rebounding issues, and Hachimura is unlikely to solve that. He is an average rebounder at best for his position and is not the most physical power forward on the interior.

For $14 million per year, however, some weaknesses are to be expected. There is a reason Hachimura was available on the market after one week of free agency. At this stage of the offseason, it's difficult to imagine the Clippers doing better than the Japanese forward.

The fact that Hachimura is now on a tradeable contract that only extends two years gives the Clippers some flexibility going forward. This is not a signing that will change the fate of the organization, but Hachimura is a good player on a team-friendly deal who fills a need.

Grade: A-