Exploring Rui Hachimura's fit with the Los Angeles Lakers

If you had the Los Angeles Lakers bolstering their forward roombefore the trade deadline — and sending off multiple future picksto do it — you can pat yourself on the back.

Don't pat too hard, though, because I doubt you had this deal onthe bingo card.

On Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers were acquiring former lotterypick Rui Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in exchange forKendrick Nunn and three second round picks — a 2023 second viaChicago (looking real top-40ish), the least favorable of LA orWashington's 2028 second rounder and LA's 2029 second-rounder.

More of a starter trade than a star trade, but you have to crawlbefore you walk.

The optics of this deal aren't great for Washington; it's notfun trading away a somewhat recent top-10 pick for threesecond-rounders and a bench guard you don't have long-term beliefin. That doesn't mean the move was thoughtless.

Replacing Hachimura's salary with Nunn's makes the Wizards' taxfigure a little easier to deal with this season — they're now $1.3million below the tax line, per Keith Smith — which couldmake them a candidate for more deals before the deadline. And ifthere was no intention of retaining Hachimura in the offseason,it's best to getsomethingfor him.

(And speaking of the offseason: It's clear the Wizards aregearing up to retain Kyle Kuzma, the former Laker who's blossomedinto a multifaceted player.)