The Los Angeles Lakers let Rui Hachimura walk in free agency to the rival Clippers, but they weren’t going to give their crosstown nemesis the benefit of working out a sign-and-trade. The Clippers wanted to, but the purple and gold refused. The Lakers didn’t want the Clippers to have extra spending power to use in free agency. The Clippers are rumored to be chasing Peyton Watson, and the Lakers certainly don’t want their rival winning that bidding.
The Lakers completely retooled their roster this offseason. They didn’t pursue Hachimura, despite his desire to remain in LA. The 6’8 forward joins LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Luke Kennard, Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, and Nick Smith Jr. in leaving the franchise with zero return. The Lakers needed a center and wanted to get younger around Luka. Rob Pelinka determined Rui didn’t fit, so the purple and gold moved on.
Hachimura’s tenure with the Lakers ended when the franchise added Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton in a matter of minutes. Rui was always going to sign for somewhere near the non-taxpayer mid-level, and he found that deal to stay in Los Angeles with the rival Clippers.
Lakers weren’t letting Clippers benefit twice from Rui Hachimura signing
Working out a sign-and-trade can be beneficial for both sides. The team signing the free agent is allowed to exceed the cap to make the move. The franchise that loses the free agent usually receives a trade exception, players, and/or draft capital in return. It appears the Clippers were just offering a trade exception, which LA had no interest in. ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains why the Lakers couldn’t use it below.
Sign-and-trade would have created a trade exception for the Lakers.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 6, 2026
However....
The exception would have been renounced in order for the Lakers to user their room in free agency. https://t.co/Ol8NSRx3z6
The Lakers still have work to do. They are searching for a wing and a backup center to round out their roster. Los Angeles is wisely targeting Jonathan Kuminga. They wanted him over Rui for his superior defense, athleticism, and ability to attack off the bounce.
Hachimura averaged 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 27.9 minutes per game over 228 contests with the Lakers. He became an elite shooter, but is a flawed player. Rui struggles to rebound and doesn’t offer ball-handling or playmaking ability. He is a limited player, and the Lakers decided he didn’t fit next to Luka.
The purple and gold made the playoffs every year with Hachimura on their roster. They reached the conference finals in 2023 just months after trading three second-round picks to acquire Rui. The Lakers made it to the second round in 2026 before losing to the Thunder. Hachimura was a quality role player, but it was time to move on.
The Los Angeles Lakers have totally revamped their roster this summer. LeBron James is gone, with Walker Kessler taking over as the number three option. Pelinka targeted youth and shooting in free agency. It had fans thinking Rui would be back, but that won’t happen. He is now a Clipper, but the crosstown rival had to use cap space to sign him. The Lakers weren’t letting them benefit, especially when it wouldn’t have helped the purple and gold.
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