Lakers Insider: Rui Hachimura Likely to Get Contract Offer 'Around' $10M per Year

Rui Hachimura has been a solid addition to the Los Angeles Lakers roster, and he's likely to get rewarded for his efforts with a new contract during the offseason.

The Purple and Gold could offer Hachimura a deal worth $10 million annually, The Athletic's Jovan Buha said during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto:

"I think the Lakers are going to try to retain him… I think his range is around the non-taxpayer MLE. I think something in that 2/20 or 3/30 (range). Looking at his numbers in Washington versus L.A., they're almost identical across the board… I think the Lakers are going to make an offer around $10 million, and if he's looking for more or another team is willing to come in and make a bigger offer, they might be willing to walk away. They were high enough on him to trade those three second-round picks, and they want to keep him."

The Lakers acquired Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in January in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks. He has a qualifying offer worth $8.5 million entering the 2023-24 season, per Spotrac.

It's no surprise the Lakers are interested in bringing Hachimura back for 2023-24 and beyond. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported at the time of the trade that L.A. acquired him "with the intention of signing him to an extension this summer."

The Lakers have just four players on the books for next season, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt and Max Christie. Malik Beasley has a team option, and Mo Bamba and Davon Reed have non-guaranteed contracts.

Hachimura has appeared in 23 games for the Lakers this season, mostly off the bench. He's averaging 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from deep.

While his numbers have dipped in L.A., he's not taking nearly as many shots per game as he did in Washington. He averages 8.0 field goal attempts per game and was averaging 10.8 attempts per game with the Wizards.

If the Lakers can get Hachimura locked up to a deal worth $10 million annually, it would be a valuable deal for the Purple and Gold, which are going to need to build a far better roster around James and Davis next season if they want to win another title.

The Lakers currently sit 11th in the Western Conference with a 34-37 record and could miss the playoffs for the second straight season.