Rui Hachimura quietly thriving in pivotal role Lakers have struggled to fill

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura entered the 2024-25 NBA regular season in a state of limbo. Whether he thrived or struggled, he would inevitably face the reality that trade rumors would all but inevitably include his name.

It's too early to say that he's extinguished any potential flames on the trade front, but if his quality of play is a sign of things to come, then he's beginning to shake the tag of expendable.

Hachimura has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his NBA career, as well as his Lakers tenure in particular. At his best, he's a big and athletic forward with defensive versatility and an outside shot that ranks among the most efficient in the Association.

Concerns have persisted over his lack of assertiveness and general consistency, however, as well as the absence of ideal volume given what appears to be a knockdown jumper.

Those perceived flaws would've been more easily overlooked had the Lakers not backed themselves into a corner with a minimal number of tradable contracts. Hachimura is a rare exception to that rule with $17 million owed for the 2024-25 season and $18,259,259 due in 2025-26.

As the Lakers experience an early string of success, however, Hachimura is changing his reputation from having a tradable contract to being a bargain the team simply can't walk away from.

Rui Hachimura is setting the tone for the Lakers in all the right ways

Hachimura is currently averaging 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 offensive boards, 1.5 assists, and 1.8 three-point field goals made in a career-high 33.9 minutes per game. He's shooting the lights out at 50.0 percent from beyond the arc, which is equally as unsustainable as it is noteworthy.

Hachimura may not convert half of his threes moving forward, but he shot 42.2 percent from beyond the arc in 2023-24 and could thus maintain his elite efficiency.

Beyond the numbers, Hachimura has been leading by example as one of the primary sources of energy whenever the Lakers are otherwise struggling to find it. His intensity on defense has been a highlight of Los Angeles' success and his situational scoring has proved invaluable.

Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves may be the offensive focal points, but Hachimura is setting the tone for the team's general level of effort whenever he's on the court.

That's not only a valuable truth to consider, but a product of how well he's responded to head coach JJ Redick. Redick asked Hachimura to shoot with more of a green light, crash the offensive glass, and take on the tall task of defending opponents' primary wing scorers.

Hacimura has checked those boxes, thus resulting in the team producing net ratings of plus-5.2 when he's on the court and negative-7.8 when he isn't—a massive 13.0-point swing.

At this stage of the 2024-25 season, Hachimura looks like the perfect complementary starter. Davis, James, and Reaves will continue to lead the offense, but Hachimura is picking his spots, playing hard, and elevating his teammates with his effort whenever the time comes for him to do so.

If Hachimura maintains this level of play throughout the 2024-25 season, the Lakers will likely think twice about including him in any potential trade discussions.