Chicago Bulls v Washington Wizards
The first action of trade season goes down and thirsty Lakers fans get a little juice — Los Angeles trades for solid wing depth in a player it can re-sign this offseason. All it cost was a guy on the edge of the rotation and some second-round picks. On the other side, the Wizards… do something.
Let’s break down the winners and losers from the first trade of 2023. We’ll start by reminding everyone of the trade itself:
Lakers receive: Rui Hachimura
Wizards receive: Kendrick Nunn, the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick, the lesser of the Lakers’ or Wizards’ 2028 second-round pick, and the 2029 Lakers’ second-round pick.
Winner: Lakers front office
This is what Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office wanted: A trade that shows they are working and making the team better — if even marginally — while not giving away the first-round pick assets they are saving for a potential home run swing this summer.
This trade does not bridge the chasm between the Lakers and contending, but that silver bullet trade is not out there to make. This is a solid, safe play, one the Laker front office can tout to fans and say, “look, we’re trying” (and say the same to any superstars potentially unhappy with the roster construction).
Plus, Hachimura is a good fit with the Lakers. This trade makes the Lakers better, starting with the fact he brings shooting to the table. Hachimura has improved as a catch-and-shoot 3-point guy in his NBA career, and when playing with LeBron James and Anthony Davis he should get clean catch-and-shoot looks. (Of course, he will get most of his minutes off the bench next to Russell Westbrook — they were teammates in Washington and have a connection.)
Hachimura needs to stick to that 3-ball or getting to the rim — he takes a third of his shots from the midrange (between 10 feet and the arc) and while he has improved on them, those are still not good shots for him. He needs to get out and run with Westbrook, he’s a good fit with the Lakers on the break.
Story continues
Hachimura is solid. Is he good? He shows flashes of it but is not consistently there yet. Do…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/winners-loser-rui-hachimura-trade-065940801.html?src=rss
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2023-01-24 06:59:40
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
