The Los Angeles Lakers got a boost in their quest to re-sign Rui Hachimura after the rival San Antonio Spurs agreed to re-sign Harrison Barnes and the latest reports linked them to several big man targets (subscription required). The defending Western Conference champions are interested in Hachimura, but his desire for a larger role may keep him out of San Antonio. Bringing back HB along with adding Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. in the draft gives San Antonio significant big man depth. The Spurs still have roster space, but San Antonio is clearly looking at other options.
The Spurs are clearly the biggest threat to stealing Hachimura. The Nets also have interest, but they just traded for Julius Randle and figure to be near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Rui is in his prime and wants to win, while playing significant minutes every night. His shooting will have teams interested, but his biggest suitor may already be looking elsewhere.
The Lakers must pay Hachimura to keep him. They have cap space, but have to sort out the futures of LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes, and Hachimura. Rui is an elite shooter that fits next to Luka Doncic, and the Lakers just got more likely to bring him back.
Lakers odds of re-signing Rui Hachimura improved with Spurs bringing back Harrison Barnes
The Spurs plan to add another option, but Marc Stein and Jake Fischer linked them to Sandro Mamukelashvili, Tobias Harris, Dean Wade, John Collins, and Hachimura. San Antonio has the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to offer. They need shooting and are looking for a versatile option to put around Victor Wembanyama.
The threat is still there, but re-signing Barnes makes it more likely they land someone like Mamu or Wade. Those players are comfortable playing 20 minutes per game and letting head coach Mitch Johnson give Barnes run.
Hachimura averaged 27.9 minutes per game in his three-plus seasons with the Lakers. He has shot 41.5 percent from 3-point range and has proven to be an elite shooter. LA is trying to put shooting and defense around Doncic. They will struggle to find a better 6’8 marksman on the open market.
Rob Pelinka has work to do. He promised Luka upgrades in the 2026 offseason. The Lakers drafted Cameron Carr, but need to do a lot more to keep their superstar happy. There are lots of rumors, and not many are positive for LA. They were linked to Mamu in Stein’s latest report, but LeBron and Smart may be leaving town.
The Lakers can’t lose LeBron and Rui. They need to keep one of those players to be their starting power forward. If King James is headed to the Warriors, Los Angeles must prioritize Hachimura. The sharpshooter is a hot commodity, but the Spurs re-signing Harrison Barnes makes it a bit less likely Hachimura ends up in San Antonio.
Free agency kicks off at 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday, so Los Angeles Lakers fans won’t have to wait long. Rui Hachimura is more likely to be back with the purple and gold after Monday’s flurry, but only time will tell where he lands. The Spurs are looking elsewhere, which is another good sign for the Lakers. Hopefully, they can get a deal done quickly and upgrade their roster this summer.
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