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The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of an offseason where they could make significant changes to the roster following a 2025-26 NBA season that saw them finish with a 20-62 record. Brooklyn has the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft and is projected to be one of just a few teams with cap space so could they target Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura?
"Hachimura raised his value throughout the playoffs with his steady jumper. The Lakers are one of the few teams with significant cap room, but that assumes Hachimura moves on," Eric Pincus wrote on Hachimura for Bleacher Report while ranking the best free-agents this summer. Pincus ranked Hachimura as the ninth-best free-agent and there is a chance that the Lakers won't be able to afford keeping him on the roster heading into next season.
"As an unrestricted free agent, he'll take up $27.4 million of LA's space with his cap hold," Pincus continued. "He's believed to be seeking a raise, but if the Lakers move on to spend elsewhere, he'll need a team with cap room to get more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15.1 million). The answer could be a sign-and-trade, though that wholly depends on what the Lakers have in mind with their spending power."
As of this writing, the Nets know that players like forward Michael Porter Jr., center Nic Claxton, and guard Egor Demin will be in the starting lineup when the 2026-27 season kicks off. After that, there are two spots unaccounted for that will likely depend on who Brooklyn takes in the 2026 NBA Draft along with whether a free-agent like Hachimura could impress the team in training camp enough to earn a starting spot.
Hachimura, 28, is coming off a down season compared to what he did for Los Angeles last season, but he still averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from behind the three-point line. The Nets can use as much long-range shooting as possible and while Hachimura is likely looking at a raise, he could be the kind of player that Brooklyn should be looking for as the team looks to win more games next year.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets pursue Lakers' Rui Hachimura in NBA free-agency?
Continue reading...
"Hachimura raised his value throughout the playoffs with his steady jumper. The Lakers are one of the few teams with significant cap room, but that assumes Hachimura moves on," Eric Pincus wrote on Hachimura for Bleacher Report while ranking the best free-agents this summer. Pincus ranked Hachimura as the ninth-best free-agent and there is a chance that the Lakers won't be able to afford keeping him on the roster heading into next season.
"As an unrestricted free agent, he'll take up $27.4 million of LA's space with his cap hold," Pincus continued. "He's believed to be seeking a raise, but if the Lakers move on to spend elsewhere, he'll need a team with cap room to get more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($15.1 million). The answer could be a sign-and-trade, though that wholly depends on what the Lakers have in mind with their spending power."
As of this writing, the Nets know that players like forward Michael Porter Jr., center Nic Claxton, and guard Egor Demin will be in the starting lineup when the 2026-27 season kicks off. After that, there are two spots unaccounted for that will likely depend on who Brooklyn takes in the 2026 NBA Draft along with whether a free-agent like Hachimura could impress the team in training camp enough to earn a starting spot.
Hachimura, 28, is coming off a down season compared to what he did for Los Angeles last season, but he still averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from behind the three-point line. The Nets can use as much long-range shooting as possible and while Hachimura is likely looking at a raise, he could be the kind of player that Brooklyn should be looking for as the team looks to win more games next year.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets pursue Lakers' Rui Hachimura in NBA free-agency?
Continue reading...
