While the Lakers are set to potentially have a lot of cap space this summer, it comes with a lot of moving parts attached.
That cap space is only created if the team renounces the cap holds on certain players — namely LeBron James — and only matters if they have players they want to sign or acquire via trade. It’s going to be a juggling act for the Lakers that could, and likely will, leave someone as the odd man out.
Could that be Rui Hachimura? The wing is set for a big payday after a strong regular season and playoffs as a shooter. In a recent piece for ESPN, Dave McMenamin revealed that some around the league wonder if Rui might have to look elsewhere for that payday.
The biggest unknown is swingman Rui Hachimura. The 28-year-old forward followed up a strong regular season (11.5 points per game on 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from 3) with a brilliant playoffs (17.5 points on 54.9% overall and 56.9% from 3) while playing on an $18.3 million expiring deal.
Several league sources told ESPN they believe Hachimura could be the odd man out and that he might need to explore the market to find a desired deal.
The market for Rui is almost certainly going to be at the mid-level exception, given how few teams have cap space. That will allow the Lakers an idea of what to expect in his next contract and plan accordingly.
But Rui and the rest of the free agents aren’t obligated to wait on the Lakers. If he wants a deal quickly while the team wants to wait to see how things across the league play out, that deal might have to come from some other team.
Having said all that, Rui sounded like someone who has enjoyed his time with the Lakers and the team appears to have interest in retaining him, so they could make him a priority in free agency and ensure a deal is done early.
However, things can change quickly in free agency, which could hurt the Lakers as much as it could benefit them.
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