It's official. The Los Angeles Lakers have lost Rui Hachimura to free agency, as their veteran forward has agreed to sign a contract with the LA Clippers. In the process, the Lakers have lost arguably the most reliable 3-and-D player they've had since they parted with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso in 2021.
With Hachimura officially out of the picture, all eyes will be on 2026 signee Quentin Grimes to prove that he can rediscover his jump shot and emerge as the 3-and-D wing Los Angeles needs.
Hachimura played the better part of four seasons with the Lakers. He helped the team reach the 2023 Western Conference Finals and emerged as an elite three-point shooter with valuable defensive versatility over the past three years.
Unfortunately, Hachimura has signed with the cross-town rival Clippers on a two-year, $28 million contract that fits him squarely into the team-friendly contract range.
Just in: Free agent Rui Hachimura has agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Cixx1ZGPV3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2026
With Hachimura officially out of the picture, the Lakers are now in need of 3-and-D wings who can reliably knock down shots and defend multiple positions. Grimes is their best bet.
Quentin Grimes is Lakers' most proven 3-and-D wing—if he fixes his J
Grimes finished the 2025-26 regular season with averages of 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.7 three-point field goals made per game. He did so while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 84.0 percent from the free throw line.
Unfortunately, Grimes shot just 33.4 percent from beyond the arc—an admittedly uncharacteristically low number given his career mark of 36.6 percent, but a concerning fact nevertheless.
The truth about Grimes' jump shooting woes is that they were tied more to his shot selection than his shooting ability. For instance: Grimes shot 38.3 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2025-26. Unfortunately, he buried just 24.0 percent of his pull-up threes.
If Grimes can either prioritize catch-and-shoot jumpers or become more efficient on pull-ups, then he should be able to help fill Hachimura's shoes in that regard.
The good news for Los Angeles is that Grimes is a tremendous defender already. Per Basketball Index, in 2025-26, he ranked in the 80th percentile in matchup difficulty as a defender and still placed in the 86th percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 92nd percentile in off-ball chaser defense.
Grimes and Hachimura clearly aren't carbon copies of one another, particularly due to their differences in size. Grimes will have to step up, nevertheless, in the 3-and-D role that Hachimura has left unoccupied.
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