Should Nets Pursue Lakers F Rui Hachimura in Free Agency?

The Brooklyn Nets were one of the most-active teams among the NBA on Monday, resigning young, developing players like Day'Ron Sharpe, Josh Minott, and Malachi Smith just before the official opening of free agency.

With the recent acquisition of Julius Randle, additions of Joshua Jefferson and Tyler Bilodeau through the draft, and Ziaire Williams heading for free agency, the Nets' front court will look a lot different heading into next season.

But, with the uncertainty of Randle's future with the team, Brooklyn should still be looking to add depth on the wing.

On Saturday, NBA correspondent Marc Stein named the Nets as a team to look out for with Los Angeles Lakers 3-and-D specialist Rui Hachimura.

"Brooklyn keeps coming up as a likely suitor, too, for the Lakers' Rui Hachimura, league sources say. The Nets and Spurs are two teams we've heard have interest in adding Hachimura's services, while the Spurs are also faced with resolving Harrison Barnes' future as the veteran forward heads to unrestricted free agency," Stein said.

Prior to Randle's contract kicking in and the recent deals, the Nets still have about $20 million in cap space available, which is right around Hachimura's annual value on his last 3-year deal.

Hachimura, a former top-10 draft pick in the 2019 class, has been a solid all-around offensive player since entering the league.

After battling injury troubles during his early years with the Washington Wizards, Hachimura was dealt to the Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks, which looking back, was a steal for Los Angeles.

Hachimura averaged over 13 points per game in his first two years with the Lakers, before taking a slight dip in scoring last season.

However, the former Gonzaga standout posted his most efficient shooting season of his career (51.4-percent), while knocking down 44.3-percent of his 3-point attempts.

Despite being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, Hachimura was perhaps the Lakers' best player, averaging 20 points per game on scorching 56/55/86 splits.

Hachimura knocked down at least three long balls in each contest, scoring 16 or more points.

Alongside Brooklyn's young, playmaking guards, Hachimura's spacing and experience would serve head coach Jordi Fernández well, giving the roster a versatile and consistent option on the wing.

While Randle's tentative future in Brooklyn will likely dictate how aggressive General Manager Sean Marks and the front office get with Hachimura, his price is definitely manageable for the team to take on.

Join the Community

Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!

It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.