Rui Hachimura – 3 years/$51 million – Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have had an exceptional free agency, with a couple of exceptions. Rui Hachimura was acquired by Los Angeles this past season at the deadline, and some were rightfully skeptical. It didn’t take much to acquire him and he never did much of note in Washington. Fast forward to the playoffs and Hachimura started to stand out averaging 12.2 points, including a 29-point game in round 2, proving skeptics wrong.
But, there is still reason to be skeptical. Hachimura still hasn’t proven himself to be a reliable regular-season player. And while the Lakers proved all they need to do is get to the playoffs, regardless of seeding, to make a run, they still need reliable role players for the regular season grind. Anthony Davis and Lebron James can be two of the best players in the league, but that comes with a big caveat regarding their health. The Lakers found stability after the trade deadline but as they enter a full season with this roster, rewarding Hachimura for his playoff performance seems a little too much too soon.
However, the Lakers’ slight overpay, just might have been the tax it took to keep him, as other teams might have wanted to reward him for those playoff games too.