Rui Hachimura is staying in Los Angeles after all. But it’s just not with the Lakers. Instead, he will be signing a two-year, $28 million deal to join the Clippers.
As the Clippers begin a new dawn following the end of the Kawhi Leonard era, what does the Hachimura signing mean for the team’s long-term future?
Clippers Get a Reliable and Consistent Wing
In a time when seven-footers are dominating the paint and bigger guards are becoming more of a necessity, Hachimura provides the Clippers with steady and consistent production in the wing department.
This past season, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft tied his career high for regular-season games played with 68, matching the total he recorded during the 2022–23 NBA campaign when he was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Lakers.
In his final season with the purple and gold, the 28-year-old averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from three-point range. During the 2026 NBA playoffs, the Japanese native elevated his game, averaging 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while knocking down 3.3 three-pointers per game and shooting an incredible 56.9% from beyond the arc across 10 games.
That performance resulted in Hachimura posting the highest career playoff three-point percentage in NBA history at 51.6%.
The 6-foot-8 forward was a dependable scorer and defender throughout his three-year stint with the Lakers. He may not have developed into the superstar many expected during his time with the Wizards, but whenever his number was called, Hachimuara always delivered.
Hachimura Joins Young and Talented Clippers
With the current roster assembled by head coach Tyronn Lue, it’s difficult to classify the Clippers as a “rebuilding team,” considering they have a legitimate chance to return to the playoffs or, at the very least, compete in the Play-In Tournament.
Leading the team next season are Darius Garland, Bennedict Mathurin, Brandon Ingram, and Brook Lopez. Key role players such as Kris Dunn, Gradey Dick, and Nicolas Batum can also provide valuable contributions.
Now add Rui Hachimura to that group, and the Clippers have a realistic chance of securing maybe at least the eighth seed in the stacked Western Conference.
Sure, this team isn’t projected to win a championship and is nowhere near being a legitimate title contender, but they have something promising brewing in Inglewood, California.
Losing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George is never easy, but with the abundance of draft picks they possess and the young talent already on the roster, don’t expect the Clippers to embrace a full-scale “tanking” anytime soon.
