The Golden State Warriors had a level of interest in signing free agent forward Rui Hachimura this offseason, only for the 28-year-old to switch teams in Los Angeles as he signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Clippers.
Fast-forward two months and Hachimura might already be regretting his decision, with the league handing down a brutal punishment to the Clippers after their investigation into salary cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard.
Rui Hachimura may already regret Clippers move
The short and long-term future now looks bleak for the Clippers after the NBA stripped them of five first-round picks, almost exclusively limiting the franchise to building their team through free agency as they did with Hachimura.
But would the Japanese forward have his time over if given the opportunity, even if it meant sacrificing financially? He joins a Clippers team that was already voluntarily entering a rebuild of sorts, having traded James Harden, Ivica Zubac and then Leonard (which should become official) in the last eight months. Now, at the hand of the league and their own previous mistakes, it's hard to see the franchise getting up off the canvas and being overly relevant anytime soon.
Hachimura should have a significant role with the Clippers, likely partnering Brandon Ingram at the forward spots assuming Leonard's trade to the Toronto Raptors goes through. There's enough talent and experience on the roster to suggest L.A. could still be competitive, but how exactly they get better is unclear after losing their draft picks.
Hachimura enjoyed four-straight playoff appearances with the Lakers following his arrival in January 2023. Unless he's traded in the next two years, he may want reconcile with the thought of a couple of absences from the postseason coming up.
Warriors had legitimate interest in Rui Hachimura
Golden State had legitimate interest in Hachimura, but their pacific rival outbid them financially according to ESPN's Anthony Slater. What exactly the Warriors were offering is hard to say, particularly given Draymond Green had given them some flexibility and their pursuit of LeBron James was at the time still ongoing.
Would Golden State have preferred Hachimura at the taxpayer mid-level exception over De'Anthony Melton? Would they have restructured Green's deal to fit him in if given the opportunity? These are questions we may never get the answer to.
The Warriors might be comfortable with missing out on Hachimura anyway, especially if young forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Gui Santos can take advantage of major playing time until Jimmy Butler returns from injury.
