Rui Hachimura is staying in Los Angeles – just not where you expected. The Japanese forward agreed to a two-year, $28 million contract with the LA Clippers on July 6, leaving the Lakers after three-and-a-half seasons across town. Per ESPN, the deal uses the Clippers’ non-taxpayer mid-level exception, with a team option locked into the second year.
A clean break
The Lakers’ front office declined to facilitate a sign-and-trade, pushing Hachimura onto the open market as an unrestricted free agent. He fielded offers from four teams – the Warriors, Spurs, Timberwolves, and Nets – and turned them all down. The Clippers, rebuilding after Kawhi Leonard’s trade to Toronto earlier this offseason, offered the right role at the right number.
Hachimura posted one of his cleanest seasons in 2025-26: 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game across 68 appearances, shooting 51.4% from the floor and 44.3% from three – career bests in efficiency. For a Clippers roster without a defined wing identity, that profile fills a real need.
What the Clippers are building
The Kawhi trade gave Los Angeles draft capital and a clear mandate: rebuild without blowing everything up. Adding Hachimura at roughly $14 million per year – under market for a forward shooting 44% from deep – keeps the budget manageable while improving the rotation. The team option on Year 2 preserves flexibility heading into 2027-28.
At 6-foot-8 with genuine length, Hachimura can defend multiple positions and function as a floor spacer in pick-and-roll actions. He doesn’t create his own shot at a high rate, but the Clippers right now don’t need another initiator. They need a reliable piece who doesn’t take bad shots and doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.
The Warriors angle
Golden State came up empty in the Hachimura chase. The Warriors – navigating a probable second-apron situation and still pursuing LeBron James – couldn’t justify the price. They then declined to match a $30 million offer sheet Memphis put in front of center Quinten Post. Two misses in the same week, both rooted in the same calculation: save room for a superstar signing that hasn’t materialized yet.
Hachimura, meanwhile, takes the biggest contract of his career into a fresh situation. The cross-town move may look quiet on paper. For a Clippers rebuild that needed a credible piece to anchor around, it’s a useful one.
