Playoff basketball is back in the City of Angels as the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for the upcoming 2024-25 NBA postseason run. The Lakers will enter the playoffs as the Western Conference's No. 3 seed, pitting them against the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in a first-round series that begins at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
Much like any year, the upcoming postseason is going to be a make-or-break period for players around the league, and the Lakers aren't an exception. Expectations are higher than ever for Los Angeles to bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy home, meaning any potential playoff underperformers could be sent packing once the offseason arrives.
Rui Hachimura Could Be Traded if Lakers Don't Win NBA Finals
The Lakers draw a ton of attention whenever they're in the NBA playoffs, meaning Rui Hachimura can expect a lot of eyes on him this spring. The veteran combo forward has been dealing with a knee injury for over a month now, leaving L.A. fans curious to see how effective he can be in the upcoming series (and beyond).
Hachimura began the 2024-25 campaign thriving in his role as the Lakers' No. 4 option. He averaged 13.3 points on .506/.410/.765 splits while also putting up 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in his first 50 outings, positioning him as someone who first-year head coach JJ Redick could rely on throughout the year.
Hachimura's momentum reached a screeching halt when his knee injury forced him to miss 12 games between the end of February and mid-March. Fortunately, he picked up from where he left off upon his return, averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 52.6% from the floor and 42.9% from distance in his final nine games to end the regular season.
As solid as Hachimura was under Redick's watch, his performance won't mean much if he can't replicate it in the playoffs. The perfect example of this is how D'Angelo Russell went from regular-season hero to postseason zero last year, resulting in his being named in trade rumors throughout the offseason before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in December.
Hachimura's last playoff performance certainly justifies any concerned Lakers fans' worries. The ex-Gonzaga Bulldog averaged an uninspiring 7.8 PPG and 3.8 RPG with .395/.357/.500 splits in five 2023-24 postseason appearances, and a similar performance could lead to Los Angeles being ready to move on this summer.
With the Lakers reportedly wanting a third star to play alongside James and Doncic, Hachimura might get traded this offseason regardless of his playoff performance. The 6-foot-8 veteran will carry a $18.2 million cap hit for the final year of his contract, which is a number the Lakers can easily flip if they no longer have complete faith in the 27-year-old's abilities.
At the end of the day, helping the Lakers win their 18th championship is likely the top way for Hachimura to improve his odds of returning to L.A. next season. With that in mind, Redick's team will enter the playoffs with the fourth-best 2025 NBA title odds (+1400) on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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