(Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire)
The Los Angeles Lakers have several priorities to address entering the offseason.
First and foremost, they need to figure out who’s going to be their next head coach, with former NBA player JJ Redick reportedly in the driver’s seat to get the position.
Then, they also need to make sure that LeBron James stays there, even if he opts out of the final year of his contract as expected.
From then on, it’s all about building the roster.
And given their current salary cap situation and their aspirations of landing a third star, they might have to part ways with some of their key players.
According to a report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic, that list could include F Rui Hachimura (via Evan Sidery).
Rui Hachimura is a likely trade candidate for the Lakers, per @jovanbuha (https://t.co/f5xGWMCFDB).
Hachimura, who is owed $35.2 million over the final two years of his contract, averaged 13.3 points this season. pic.twitter.com/8Jdoq15fYj
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 29, 2024
Hachimura is coming off averaging roughly over 13 points this season.
A lottery pick out of Gonzaga, Hachimura hasn’t exactly panned out the way some scouts thought he would, but he’s still a very serviceable player.
He took a significant leap on defense as soon as he left the Washington Wizards, and he has the physical tools to be a solid two-way forward in the right setting.
He’s a nice slasher who has made strides as a shooter as well, and while he’s not a star by any means, he’s the kind of role player who’s on a reasonable deal and could appease multiple championship contenders, assuming he’s indeed made available.
The post Key Lakers Veteran Named As A Likely Trade Candidate This Offseason appeared first on The Cold Wire.