During the first half of this season, as well as all of last season, the Los Angeles Lakers were starving for viable depth at the forward position. They had virtually none, and when LeBron James went to the bench or was unable to play, that lack of depth was glaring.
But in January, they pulled off a trade for Rui Hachimura, who was then a member of the Washington Wizards. He was stuck on Washington’s bench behind Kyle Kuzma and was seemingly going to waste, and it looked like the Lakers needed him more than the Wizards did.
Hachimura immediately bolstered L.A.’s depth, and as a result, retaining him this summer (he’s about to become a restricted free agent) is a big priority for the team.