The Los Angeles Lakers have not given up hope on the idea of bringing back one of their own free agents just yet. However, if they do want to ensure Rui Hachimura is still wearing purple and gold next season, they must act as if they are not the only game in town, because there is still competition.
On Thursday, Dave McMenamin reported that his league sources were wondering what the Lakers were scheming. The fact that Hachimura remained unsigned led people to believe that Los Angeles was moving money around to offer their sharpshooting forward a path back to the team.
Even after a flurry of forwards found new teams in free agency, the Lakers are not without rival suitors for Hachimura. The latest from The Stein Line pointed out two teams who are still eyeing the prospects of adding Rui's skill set to their rosters.
"As the market has developed, sources say Hachimura's representation has now been in contact with [the] Minnesota [Timberwolves] and Golden State [Warriors] as well."
Lakers need to quickly free up the cap space for a Rui Hachimura return
Of the two teams pointed out by The Stein Line, the way the information was presented would lead one to believe the Timberwolves were the bigger threat of the two. Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reinforced the need for a power forward in Minnesota after trading away both Naz Reid and Julius Randle.
That is not to say the Warriors should be taken lightly here either. If Golden State misses out on the LeBron James sweepstakes, they will need to find a consolation prize somewhere on the free agent market. That could very well prove to be Hachimura.
This is all bad news for the Lakers. Their two starting forward spots still look a touch suspect, even after the wave of free agency additions they made.
At present, they could be starting the combination of Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili at the two forward spots. If they do not feel comfortable with Grimes, Jake LaRavia may even be forced into the first five that tip off every night.
The point should be made. The Lakers need to keep working on upgrading those spots.
Bringing back Hachimura would eliminate one headache for them. Rui is already familiar with the system and his two star players. There is a proven fit for the Lakers forward. It should be one that Rob Pelinka feels confident about yielding further success in the Luka Doncic era.
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