The Washington Wizards have traded forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. Several teams expressed interest in the forward after the Wizards made it clear they were open to trading him. The Lakers add talented youth while the Wizards clear a player that hopes to get a bigger contract soon with a team. Washington would be hard-pressed to pay both Hachimura and Kyle Kuzma in the future. This seemingly signals that the team has chosen to pay Kyle Kuzma in the future.
The Los Angeles Lakers are finalizing a trade sending guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks to the Washington Wizards for Rui Hachimura, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. https://t.co/aTP7eYyGOh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 23, 2023
This season with the Washington Wizards, Rui Hachimura averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and, 1.2 assists per game. He paired those numbers with a field goal percentage of 48.8 percent and a three-point percentage of 33.7 percent. The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to stay active ahead of the 2022-23 NBA Trade Deadline and this might not be their final move before that date. Adding Hachimura gives them youth, depth, and a player that can shoot better than the majority of their current roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to improve this season and make the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs. With Lebron James on the roster, missing the Playoffs is an unacceptable result for the franchise. With the NBA Trade Deadline coming up, Def Pen Sports will be reporting on any moves made.
