At this point in the offseason, it’s very clear the Lakers are focused on opening up cap space in order to sign a wing, a glaring hole on the team’s current roster.
What also appears to be clear is that, for now, the focus is not on re-signing one of their free agents, but bringing a new player in.
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Rui Hachimura’s free agency hasn’t gone according to plan as he currently still sits without a contract and with few suitors lined up. It left some to wonder if he could return to the Lakers and fill their hole on the perimeter.
However, according to NBA beat writer Jake Fischer, that doesn’t appear to be in the plans for the purple and gold. In his latest piece on Substack on Saturday, Fishcer noted that the presumption around the league is the Lakers are focused on Jonathan Kuminga, not Rui Hachimura, as their wing signing.
There is a corresponding (and growing) expectation that free agent forward Rui Hachimura will join James in exiting Tinseltown.
The Lakers, league sources say, are focused on adding a wing and another big man after Friday’s agreement with Washington to trade Deandre Ayton for the slightly less expensive Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks.
And a good bit of that focus, sources say, has involved Kuminga.
Considering the team’s needs and the skill sets of Kuminga and Hachimura, there is rationale for targeting the former. The Lakers have a hole at the small forward position and Rui is more of a four than a three. Kuminga is a better perimeter defender, a need for the Lakers, and is more athletic, fitting the profile of the players signed this offseason.
But the Lakers are not unopposed in their pursuit of Kuminga. In the same piece, Fischer notes the Cavs are interested in signing him while the Hawks are also open to bringing him back.
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The Lakers’ need to create cap space means Kuminga could be off the market by the time they can sign him. It adds to the urgency of the situation. It also is further evidence of how fluid free agency remains.
For now, the Lakers don’t seem interested in bringing back Rui. But things can still change.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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