Rui Hachimura has played very well for the Japan national team.
This offseason, the Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the more active teams in the NBA in terms of making moves to their roster. One of the free agent signings they made was forward Rui Hachimura, who is coming from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hachimura spent three and a half seasons with the franchise and became one of their most reliable offensive pieces. His most impressive stat from 2025-2026 is his three-point percentage, which was at 44.3 percent.
This summer, Rui has spent some time playing with Japan's national team as they look to qualify for the next FIBA World Cup, which tips off in 2027. He has been very productive with Japan, and over his last two games, he's been very efficient on offense.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY SportsIn his last two games, he scored 29 points and shot 11 of 14 from the field in one, and he followed that up by scoring 30 points on 9 of 15 shooting from the field. In both games combined, he's shot 9 of 12 from three-point range.
With the NBA season coming up in one month, this could be an encouraging sign for the Clippers coaching staff and front office. After trading away star forward Kawhi Leonard, Rui could be that next focal point on the wing for Los Angeles.
What Can Rui Hachimura Add to the Clippers?
It will be nearly impossible to replace the production Kawhi Leonard gave the Clippers throughout his tenure, but having someone on the wing like Rui Hachimura who can score on all three levels may be a serviceable replacement.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesDuring his last season with the Lakers, Hachimura was used in more of a spot-up shooting role and did not handle the ball that much for the team. One of the factors that attracted him to come to the Clippers was the fact that he could be used in different ways on offense.
Standing at 6'8, Rui Hachimura is a player who can drive to the basket and score as well. He is someone who feeds off cutting to the basket and using his size to his advantage. The Clippers coaching staff will want to use his size and his shooting ability, and it could unlock a very dynamic player in Hachimura
It will be interesting to see how this upcoming season will differ from last season for Hachimura and if he will truly get the expanded role he's looking for.
