If the Lakers are going to trade for a star or a high-salary player, they almost have to include Rui Hachimura. The 26-year-old combo forward makes $17 million for next season and his salary is the perfect trade chip for the Lakers. Combine that with D’Angelo Russell’s contract and draft capital, and the Lakers can bring back a massive salary in return.
Hachimura is a solid role player who fits the Lakers. He has good size and is a reasonable three-and-D player. He is not great at either of those things but considering the lack of two-way players on the Lakers, he is certainly needed. However, he is not worth the contract he is on as he would be a bench player on most teams.
The Japanese forward has been better than expected for the Lakers since being acquired at the 2023 trade deadline. At the same time, he is a low-ceiling player that gets paid like a starter. It behooves the Lakers to move on from him in a trade.
One of the most important free agency signings of the Lakers in the 2023 offseason, Gabe Vincent failed to deliver last year. This wasn’t the front office’s fault for once. The 28-year-old guard was dealing with an injury all year, missing all but 11 regular-season games.
On paper, Vincent is a valuable player and he can still make an impact. He can shoot the three reliably and is a good on-ball defender. He may be the only guard with two-way ability on this team. So, if he were to stay, he has a chance to contribute next year.
At the same time, he makes a guaranteed $22.5 million for the next two years. If the Lakers find a way to get out of this deal and earn more financial flexibility going forward, they should seriously consider it. Another option is to include him with Hachimura or Russell in a bigger trade package to bring back a high-level starter.
