On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers made waves by trading guard Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks to the Washington Wizards for forward Rui Hachimura.
Many believe that although he will not make them championship contenders, Hachimura will move the needle for them by helping them at their weakest positions: small forward and power forward.
Because of NBA protocols regarding finalizing trades and having players involved in a deal undergo physicals, Hachimura will not play for L.A. on Tuesday when it faces the Los Angeles Clippers.
But it is very possible he plays his first game for the Purple and Gold on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs.
.@mcten says Rui Hachimura could make his Lakers debut as soon as Wednesday vs. the Spurs#LakeShow pic.twitter.com/O62J9jV6J9
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) January 24, 2023
The biggest thing Hachimura will help the Lakers with is lessening the huge drop-off in talent and skill when LeBron James goes to the bench. To this point, they have had to get by with Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson and Wenyen Gabriel, all of whom are marginal rotation players at best, playing the 3 and 4 positions.
Hachimura, on the other hand, is a capable scorer who has ample athleticism, and at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, he boasts a 7-foot-2 wingspan that gives him the ability to be a difference-maker on the defensive end.
