The Los Angeles Lakers have several players on their roster who will be free agents at the conclusion of the upcoming season: big man Maxi Kleber, guard Gabe Vincent, forward Rui Hachimura, center Jaxson Hayes and, of course, LeBron James. In addition, Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart can decline their player options and become free agents next summer.
That means there is a lot of uncertainty about what the Lakers’ roster will look like past this season as they look to build a championship team around 26-year-old superstar Luka Doncic. While many are talking about the possibility of James and Reaves leaving next summer, not many are discussing what could happen with Hachimura.
During a recent episode of “The Zach Lowe Show,” Zach Lowe said the Lakers should offer Hachimura a fairly lucrative contract extension (h/t Fadeaway World).
“They can offer Rui Hachimura enough money to pique his interest,” Lowe said. “I think his extension would start somewhere around 26 million and go up from there based on his current salary. I think Rui Hachimura is good. I think he’s actually underrated.
There has been some talk that perhaps Hachimura, who has started at one forward spot for most of his two seasons and change with L.A., could come off the bench this season in favor of Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year. Lowe doesn’t seem to agree with that suggestion.
“When I hear the discussions about who would come off the bench if they decide to [start] Marcus Smart, he’s a de facto answer,” Lowe continued. “And I get that because it’s not going to be [Deandre] Ayton. You’re not going to start small.
“And it’s not going to be any of the LeBron [James], Luka [Doncic], and [Austin] Reaves, it’s politically probably difficult for that to happen,” Lowe continued. “I’m just like I don’t know that the answer to whatever problems the Lakers might have is like less of a 40%-ish three-point shooter with some one-on-one skills and defensive versatility playing around the star players.”
Hachimura is certainly a more skilled player than some seem to give him credit for. As Lowe mentioned, he has the ability to score in one-on-one situations and is efficient from all three levels. Hachimura is also a strong finisher at the hoop, both in transition and in halfcourt situations, and he’s a very good 3-point shooter.
Last season, the Japan native averaged 13.1 points a game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 41.3% from 3-point range. He sometimes seems to be invisible offensively since he’s no better than L.A.’s fourth scoring option, but he is someone who could continue to have value to the team moving forward.
An extension starting around $26 million seems too steep for someone who will make $18.26 million this season. But perhaps an agreement can be reached if the 6-foot-8 forward plays well, or, at the very least, perhaps the Lakers could package him in a trade at some point to receive a player whom they would deem more valuable.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Zach Lowe: Lakers should give one of their players lucrative extension
