Although Rui Hachimura missed the Lakers-Clippers' most recent game due to quad soreness, he did appear in the first matchup of the year between the two teams, and he didn't disappoint.
Watching the former Laker Hachimura assert himself offensively was an interesting experience for Lakers fans. He finished with 16 points and six assists on 3-of-6 from downtown and took 14 shots overall -- it was a performance that made the most ardent Hachimura fans point and say, "Look, the Lakers should've done whatever they could to keep him this offseason!"
Should the Lakers have paid (and retained) Rui Hachimura?
Hachimura's a winning player, and he's been an awesome 3-point shooter for multiple years at this point, particularly in the playoffs. He ended up signing a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers in the offseason, a contract that would've made him the fourth-highest-paid player on the 2026-27 Lakers behind the "Big 3" of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler.
Glancing at the Lakers' cap sheet, it's initially a bit frustrating to come to terms with Hachimura's exit. Quentin Grimes ($13.95 million this year) and Sandro Mamukelashvili ($13 million) were nice additions, but could the Lakers have also fit Hachimura in if they'd just found a salary-dump trade for Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million)?!
Trading Vanderbilt must have been impossible this summer. On the other hand, maybe Lakers GM Rob Pelinka (and who knows, maybe Luka, too) weren't thrilled with Hachimura's fit on the Lakers from an offensive chemistry standpoint. And come to think of it, Hachimura's recent comments in a ClutchPoints interview sort of fit with that narrative.
Rui Hachimura just surprised everyone with ClutchPoints comments
Hachimura essentially said that he's capable of being a first option, and that it was tough for him to play on the Lakers because there weren't that many touches to be had alongside Doncic, Reaves, and LeBron James.
Rui Hachimura says he’s capable of being a No. 1 option and admits it was tough to get the ball on the Lakers last season
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 26, 2026
“I feel like the people around me know. They always say that they're always watching me. Even last year, when those three guys played, Austin, LeBron, Luka,… pic.twitter.com/D6FGqHVaq4
Okay, there are a couple of things to unpack here. First of all, Rui Hachimura first-option hoops? In the NBA? He's never averaged more than 13.8 points per game in an NBA season, so I'm not sure what Rui's referring to here ... maybe his final year in college at Gonzaga, where he was the No. 1 option and averaged almost 20 points per game.
But being a No. 1 option in college does not at all mean that you're an alpha at the NBA level. It can mean that, but on the whole, most drafted guys who were the best player on their college team don't end up being a franchise player in the NBA.
The other thing to unpack here is that if Hachimura wasn't happy playing alongside LA's trio last year, he may have also been annoyed to play with this version of the Lakers, which still features Doncic and Reaves. JJ Redick has been adamant about pretty much everyone outside of Doncic and Reaves only taking 3s or layups/dunks. Surely, he would've kept Hachimura on somewhat of a similar leash, had he stayed a Laker.
Hachimura's much happier with his 12.7 field goal attempts per game so far this season on the Clippers (a career high). He never averaged more than 10 FGA per game in a Lakers uniform, and it would've been more of the same (or close) in 2026-27.
Rui is a good player. The Lakers are a good team. The fit just wasn't perfect enough to bring him back, it sounds like.
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