Rui Hachimura spent three-and-a-half seasons helping the Los Angeles Lakers produce their best results since winning the 2020 NBA championship. Hachimura was a key 3-and-D figure during the Lakers' run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals and shot the lights out as they won their first playoff series in three years in 2026.
Unfortunately, Hachimura doesn't seem to feel as though he was positioned to be the best version of himself during his tenure in the purple and gold. It's a clear sign that it was time to move on.
Hachimura is by no means in the wrong to believe he deserved more than he received from the Lakers. He thrived in his role as a floor spacer, corner crasher, and well-rounded defender, but his on-ball opportunities were limited and his presence on offense was generally low-yielding.
During a recent interview with Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints, Hachimura took something of a parting shot at the Lakers in a rather thorough dissection of the limitations that he played under as a member of the purple and gold.
“I've spoken with the Clippers coaching staff, and they want me to shoot my three-pointers, of course, but also do more cutting,” Hachimura added in agreement. “In my final year with the Lakers, I couldn't really make those cuts due to our team's [structure], so the [Clippers] told me they want me to do more of that, which makes me really happy. I also want to focus on rebounding. Grabbing the boards and pushing the pace like I used to back in the day is something I want to keep doing."
Though Hachimura's comments on the limitations of his role are fair, they're also proof that a fresh start was best for all parties.
Clippers offered Rui Hachimura more expansive role than Lakers gave him
Los Angeles effectively cleaned house this summer by keeping just two starters and even parting with several of its top reserves. Long before it did so, however, Hachimura epitomized the struggle to find the ideal balance with the roster the Lakers had in place.
It was one of the unfortunate truths behind his entire tenure with the franchise, as Hachimura never seemed to settle into a consistent role under Darvin Ham or J.J. Redick.
Hachimura started 146 games for the Lakers, but he also came off of the bench in 82. He seemed to become a full-time starter in 2024-25, appearing in the starting five in 57 of his 59 appearances, but was in and out of it again in 2025-26 with 47 starts in 68 games played.
Much as the manner in which the Lakers featured him on offense didn't seem to align with what Hachimura wanted for himself, his overall role was all but entirely unpredictable.
Perhaps there was an argument that LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers created space for Hachimura to play a role that he prefers. The reality facing the Lakers, however, is that Luka Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves only played 520 minutes together this season due to injuries, per databallr—and the limitations of Hachimura's role remained the same.
With Hachimura wanting a larger offensive role and the Lakers testing the limits of his adaptability, it was simply time for both sides to move on and explore other options.
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