The Los Angeles Lakers made a big splash in the NBA’s trade market earlier this week when they completed a deal for forward Rui Hachimura.
The Lakers dealt three second-round draft picks as well as guard Kendrick Nunn to land Hachimura. According to a Tuesday report, Lakers fans won’t have to wait long to see the newest addition to the roster in action. In fact, he could suit up as early as Wednesday in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Fans and experts alike were starting to wonder how the Lakers would approach the pre-trade deadline market, and the general consensus is that they have started things off on the right foot with the Hachimura trade.
The former Gonzaga University standout has been a productive player since his NBA career began, and he’s proven an ability to produce while coming off the bench in the last two seasons.
This season, he is averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 boards and 1.2 assists per game despite not recording a single start. The fact that he’s enjoying all that production in just 24.3 minutes of playing time per game is a great sign of what he might be able to achieve with even more playing time in L.A.
Most importantly, he is shooting the ball rather well this season. He’s hitting 48.8 percent of his field goals and 33.7 percent of his deep balls.
Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will absolutely benefit from having another member of the frontcourt that can stretch the floor with his shooting abilities.
The question now is whether or not the Lakers front office will make any more moves. Recent reports certainly indicate that Rob Pelinka and company are doing what they can to improve the roster.
If the Lakers are able to complete another trade or two to further improve the roster, James and Davis could finally have the supporting cast they need to lead the Lakers to the playoffs and beyond.
As things currently stand, the Lakers sit at the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference with an overall record of 22-25.
While the record certainly leaves something to be desired, the Lakers are just two games back from the No. 6 seed in the conference.
Hachimura should help the Lakers make up that ground in due time.
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