The free agent options available who can start at the four spot for the Los Angeles Lakers next season are quickly dwindling. The Detroit Pistons just took a really solid name in John Collins off the board after Shams Charania broke the news of a new deal being signed in Motown.
"Free agent John Collins has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal to sign with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell ESPN. Frontcourt addition and a new lob threat for Cade Cunningham in Detroit."
That puts Collins at a $17 million cap hit on average over the next three years. That is a very affordable contract for someone who played as well as he did in 2025-26.
The former Los Angeles Clippers forward stood out as one of the clear upgrades available by comparison to Rui Hachimura. With Collins putting pen to paper on a new deal in Detroit, Los Angeles would be wise to finally secure at least one of their own free agents during this offseason.
Lakers need to secure Rui Hachimura's return to Los Angeles ASAP
This should be simple. Who is really out there in free agency that stands out as a step up from what Hachimura can give you, if you are the Lakers? If the conclusion Los Angeles comes to is no one, then a new agreement needs to be finalized quickly.
Hachimura is a proven fit with Luka Doncic. His sharpshooting creates a perfect option on the perimeter for Doncic to dish the rock to after collapsing defenses by attacking the rim. Rui will stack up points in a hurry that way, clearly displayed by his mark of 44.3 percent from deep.
With LeBron James making the decision to leave before free agency, there is no more awkward overlap in skill sets and deployment on defense either. Hachimura is much easier to justify as a starter who is getting paid accordingly with the new void at the four.
In addition to James, the Lakers have also watched Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart depart from the franchise. If Hachimura were to join the bunch, that would be four major rotational players from last season ending up somewhere else to begin 2026-27. Surely, someone has to buck the trend, right?
Hachimura is 28 years old and aligns perfectly with Doncic's timeline in Los Angeles. If Smart was not the end of the Lakers letting their own guys go (and he should have been), then Rui has to be it.
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