Rui Hachimura Signs 2-Year, $28 Million Deal With Clippers

Rui Hachimura has signed a 2-year, $28 million deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Hachimura has been one of the more intriguing names in the NBA free-agent market this offseason. One team that made a strong push is the San Antonio Spurs, who won the Western Conference Finals this year. The Spurs were reportedly showing significant interest in the forward.

The Los Angeles Lakers have done their due diligence on free agents as well.

It seemed unlikely the Lakers would re-sign Hachimura. He is coming off another productive season with Los Angeles, continuing to establish himself as one of the league’s most efficient scoring forwards. At 6-foot-8, Hachimura can reliably hit open threes, making him an attractive option for a team like the Spurs, who just reached the NBA Finals.

The Spurs are building around Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. One of Wembanyama’s biggest strengths is his ability to knock down three-point shots at an efficient rate. Hachimura’s skills would complement Wembanyama’s unique offensive game by creating more space and giving defenders another player to account for

Defensively, Hachimura also brings experience. While he’s not considered an elite defender, his size and physicality allow him to guard multiple positions.