Rui Hachimura Named in Lakers Trade Report on Thursday
Rui Hachimura Named in Lakers Trade Report on Thursday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura has been a dependable role player his entire career, but that doesn't mean he won't get shipped out this summer.
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The 27-year-old averaged 13.1 points on 50.9 percent shooting (41.3 percent) with five rebounds over a career-high 31.7 minutes this past season. He's a viable option to aid LeBron James in the frontcourt until he retires, but he could be sacrificed for the Lakers' most pressing need.
Los Angeles hasn't had a reliable center since it traded Anthony Davis in February's Luka Doncic deal. The club was set to send the Charlotte Hornets a package including Dalton Knecht for Mark Williams, but nixed it when the latter failed his physical exam.
The Lakers have discussed trading Hachimura for a big man, via ClutchPoints' Anthony Irwin.
Utah Jazz forward John Collins (20).Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
"Sources close to the Los Angeles Lakers say that internally, they have long been fans of John Collins, who has the ability to stretch the floor both as a deep threat or someone who can finish well above the rim," he reported on Thursday.
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"Many within the Lakers organization believe Collins would be an especially great fit alongside Luka Doncic," he continued. "Since their season ended, they've held a few conversations with the Utah Jazz to try to land the 27-year-old big man, with Rui Hachimura often the centerpiece of the deal."
The 6-foot-9-inch Collins is a power forward like the 6-foot-8-inch Hachimura, so he wouldn't solve Los Angeles's center issue. However, Collins averaged 19 points on 52.7 percent shooting (39.9 percent) with 8.2 rebounds over 30.5 minutes this past season.
The Lakers also like Utah's seven-foot center Walker Kessler, via Irwin.
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"The Lakers have also remained interested in Walker Kessler and will likely remain as such until the end of time, so another possibility some around the league are wondering about is if a bigger deal involving Collins and Kessler could be in the works," he continued. "Issue there is the Lakers' lack of draft capital, as sources have indicated the price for Kessler is still quite high."
The 24-year-old Kessler averaged 11.1 points on 66.3 percent shooting with 12.2 rebounds over 30 minutes this past season.
Related: Warriors NBA Champion Emerges as Potential Lakers Target
Related: Luka Doncic's Former Mavericks Teammate Posts Immediate Reaction to Cooper Flagg News
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
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