The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tricky place when it comes to the long-term future of this roster. The team has yet to secure an extension for Rui Hachimura, and that makes some begin to think of the tragic scenario in which LA loses the services of their role player for nothing further down the line.
Hachimura is of course headed into the final season of his current contract. He's been a steady contributor, offering floor-spacing and sharp three-point shooting while steadying the Lakers' wing depth.
Plenty of analysts agree that the Lakers can in theory offer him a meaningful extension, perhaps in the ballpark of $25 million annually, and that he'd be worth it. Part of the reason why many, including myself, would agree with this sentiment is that he's such a natural fit around Luka Doncic.
Rui doesn't demand the ball to be in his hands, contributes toward offensive spacing and is the exact type of complementary player that historically has worked alongside number 77. The Lakers have done such a good job of re-shaping this roster around Doncic, so unceremoniously losing a key cog in the supporting cast would be a big blow.
Missing out on extending Hachimura would be bad news for Luka Doncic
I believe the thinking behind LA's current hesitancy to resist the urge to go ahead and extend Hachimura revolves around the idea of wanting to avoid over-committing to role players. It's an understandable position, especially when you do want to retain some element of flexibility for big moves in 2026 and beyond. Because of how the team's payroll is currently set up, any new extensions are going to have ripple effects.
With that being said, you have to have the self-awareness to know when to take leaps of faith and when not to. If the Lakers made the mistake of letting Rui go without securing a replacement, it could send a message to Doncic that the organization isn't as prepared to win a championship as previously believed.
We know that Luka chose to re-sign in Los Angeles for a reason. And at the same time, he's realistic enough in his own mind that he could certainly question whether this team is serious about contending should something like this go down.
If the Lakers opt not to extend Hachimura, it may end up being a situation where they trade him mid-season rather than risk losing him for no return come free agency. LA's fanbase is going to be split on this issue as per usual, but it's hard to ignore how well Rui fits alongside Luka.
I think it makes a lot more sense to just open up the checkbook and remove the possibility of any FOMO or potential frustrations with your franchise player. Hachimura isn't a perfect player, but he's earned his payday.