Rui Hachimura Reacts to Possible Lakers Demotion

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Shubham Singh | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 12:26 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers have been impressive this season. They have a 27-17 record and are currently fifth in the Western Conference. Lakers head coach JJ Redick has found some flexibility in the lineup because of dependable rotations.

In early January, Rui Hachimura was sidelined due to a calf strain. He returned after two weeks, but he had to come off the bench rather than sliding back into a starting role. The power forward spoke to The Athletic about his new role.

Hachimura Is Liking the Lakers’ Vibe

During the interview, Hachimura showed positive energy about his sixth-man role. The power forward was glad that his team was doing well, and he could still get a bigger role when coming off the bench.

“A lot of people think about stats and all that, but for me it’s like winning. That’s gonna help us to everybody get paid,” Hachimura said. "And especially with this second unit, I get more touches too. … I don’t mind. It’s more so like, who’s finishing the game? Or who’s playing more? For me, that’s more important.”

With the Lakers nearing full health, Rui Hachimura tells @TheAthletic he’s open to a second-unit role despite his pending free agency https://t.co/J0uRntMlpU
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 26, 2026

Hachimura will be a free agent in the summer. Thus, he’d love to get all the minutes he can get to shoot up his value. However, his numbers have gone down since he has moved to the bench.

As a bench player in seven games, the forward has played 22.9 minutes per game, tallying 9.9 points and 3 rebounds per game. He has made 1.7 triples per game on a respectable 36.4% clip while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Meanwhile, as a starter in 27 games, he played 32.5 minutes per game, and scored 12.7 PPG, grabbed 3.8 RPG, shot an impressive 44.7% from the deep (1.8 makes) and made 52.1% of his field goals.

Hachmiura’s numbers are suffering due to a demotion, but his attitude is a green flag.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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