After thrilling victories over the Grizzlies and the Trail Blazers, the Lakers made a big trade and landed Rui Hachimura from the Wizards.
The last time Hachmiura was on the court, he scored a career-high 30 points during a win over the Magic. It was the second time this season that he had reached as many points in a single performance.
While this isn’t going to be the move that turns Los Angeles from a pretender to a contender, it could be a sign of what could come next for the Lakers. The franchise did not move any first-round picks in the deal, so more moves may be on the way.
The Lakers are expected to re-sign Hachmiura, which will limit their cap space during the upcoming offseason. However, that may not be the worst strategy if it bolsters their weak young core and provides players who can make a difference in a potential postseason run.