Every single one of the Los Angeles Lakers' top-seven leaders in minutes per game right now is eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer. That includes underrated Gonzaga product Rui Hachimura, who is coming off an impressive 21-point performance in the Lakers' Game 3 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Most importantly, Hachimura connected on 5-of-8 of his attempts from beyond the arc. He's quietly emerged as the most reliable floor spacer on this entire Lakers roster, shooting a career high 44.3 percent from deep this season.
After eclipsing 40 percent from three in the past three seasons, Hachimura is averaging 39.4 percent from deep in his career. He's arguably the most underrated shooter in the entire association, and the exact addition this Blazers team desperately needs to make this summer.
Blazers look to add more shooting this summer
"The Spurs series showed us that we don't shoot the ball well enough," Blazers general manager Joe Cronin said at his exit interview. "Shooting is something we knew we were deficient in. Dame will definitely help us, but something we need to address going forward. We played a lot of possessions in the mud."
Damian Lillard also emphasized shooting as the biggest need for this Blazers roster, highlighting the need for more floor spacing to complement Deni Avdija's downhill style of play.
Depending on what the Blazers ultimately decide to do in their first summer under new owner Tom Dundon, they could potentially have enough to sign a sharpshooter like Hachimura. Portland has four free agents: Matisse Thybulle, Robert Williams III, Blake Wesley, and Caleb Love.
Financially speaking, they do have enough to retain the key two-way veterans, Thybulle and Williams. Alternatively, they could elect to use their $15 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception. For context, Hachimura is on the books for $18.3 million this season. That said, a deal in the $15 million range does seem reasonable, given his relatively limited ceiling.
It could depend on what Portland ultimately decides to do with Williams, who is extension-eligible leading up to June 30. Williams stated his desire to remain in Portland at his exit interview and certainly made a compelling case to stay in what turned out to be one of the healthiest seasons of his career.
But if Portland wants to better balance out its roster and add more shooting, Hachimura must be considered an intriuging free agency option. This latest Game 3 performance served as a reminder of what he's quietly been doing all season for the shorthanded Lakers.
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