Warriors may steal another Lakers star in free agency

The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most active players in the LeBron James sweepstakes so far.

General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is finally looking to make a big splash to help Stephen Curry bring a fifth NBA championship home.

However, the Warriors must stay active on all fronts. There are no guarantees that James will take his talents to the Bay Area, so they have to think of alternatives.

According to NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, the Warriors have circled fellow Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura as a potential replacement.

The Warriors are keeping tabs on Rui Hachimura

“As the market has developed, sources say Hachimura’s representation has now been in contact with Minnesota and Golden State as well,” read the report.

Unsurprisingly, the Warriors won't be alone in this potential pursuit. Per the insiders, the Minnesota Timberwolves are also expected to make a run at him:

“The Timberwolves have a well-chronicled need for a power forward after committing to trade away Randle and Naz Reid so they can pair LaMelo Ball with Anthony Edwards and Hachimura is said to stand as their current top choice at the position,” they added.

Hachimura entered the league as a top-10 pick in 2019 and struggled for a while before finally finding his footing.

While he didn't blossom into a two-way superstar or live up to his 'Japanese Giannis Antetokounmpo reputation,' he developed into an elite 3-and-D role player.

He has been instrumental to the Lakers in recent years, averaging 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game on 50.9 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from downtown in 59 games (57 starts) last season, per Basketball Reference.

And with the Lakers' flurry of signings, it's hard to believe they'll be able to retain him in Southern California.