The Clippers covered up their gaping hole at power forward today, with Shams Charania of ESPN reporting that they will sign Rui Hachimura to a two-way deal worth $28M. Law Murray of the Athletic followed up with a note that the second year of the contract is a team option, not a fully guaranteed contract.
Hachimura is a 6’8, 240 pound forward who just completed his 7th season in the NBA. Rui, who is 28 years old, has split his NBA career to this point between the Wizards and Lakers, largely as a starter (264 of 405 games). Last season for the Lakers, Rui averaged 11.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 28.3 minutes while shooting 51.4% from the field and 44.3% from three (3.9 attempts). Rui has also been a strong playoff performer, with career averages of 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 31.2 minutes across 41 playoff games on 53.7/51.6 (!!) shooting splits (3.8 threes attempted per game). In short, Rui is a playoff-proven veteran with a track record of providing real minutes to good teams.
All that being said, I’ve never been much of a Rui fan (as a player), even before he became a Laker. Maybe it’s because Rui reminds me a lot of Marcus Morris, a player I notably hated watching for the Clippers. Rui is a very good three-point shooter, but he takes them at low volume, which means he’s much less of a weapon from deep than he should be. Despite being very large and strong even by NBA player standards, Rui loves to take midrange jumpers, and will settle for those rather than bullying his way to the rim. Those things, just like with Marcus, have their place – being able to get up relatively efficient midrangers is a useful skill, especially for bolstering bench units. However, Rui’s lack of creation or playmaking means he’s firmly a role playing scorer on offense, even if he’s a good one.
However, the real questions that Rui raises on this team are on the other end of the floor. Despite his size and strength, Rui has never rated as a good defender; he’s fine enough in one-on-one settings, but struggles in making rotations and does not offer any support as a backline defender. Additionally, Rui’s rebounding, never a particular strength, decreased significantly during his time on the Lakers, moving from a below-average skill to a true weakness. The three starters that are locked in on the Clippers, Darius Garland, Brandon Ingram, and Brook Lopez, are all bad to very bad rebounders and limited or poor defenders. Rui is a great fit with those guys on offense as a floor spacer and release valve, but a unit with all four of them is probably going to be quite bad on defense and the glass even with a plus defender in the last spot.
Qualms with Rui aside, this is a pretty good deal for a guy with Rui’s track record who is in the prime of his career. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Rui will be able to give the Clippers a good dose of competent minutes at the power forward position, a spot that was previously barren on the roster. He has his issues, but the shooting and scoring will help a Clippers’ roster that was in need of both. Rui’s contract is easily movable in trades, and it would not shock me if they traded him at the deadline for assets depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out. If Rui has a good season and is a solid fit, the Clippers can pick up his team option and keep him around for another year at affordable value. It’s a good deal and fit even if I’m not the biggest fan of the player.
Speaking of fit, it feels unlikely that the Clippers are done. They have 13 rostered players, and that’s not counting Baba Miller, who will likely be signed to a full deal. Nick Martinelli was confirmed as a two-way contract, joining Sean Pedulla as two-way guys. That leaves the Clippers with one full roster spot and one two-way, though Pedulla and Cam Christie (non-guaranteed deal) could be cut easily if needed. However, none of that is including Bennedict Mathurin (restricted free agent) or Nic Batum (beloved veteran). Right now, here’s the Clippers updated depth chart:
PG: Darius Garland – Keaton Wagler – Sean Pedulla (two-way)
SG: Kris Dunn – Jordan Miller – Gradey Dick – Cam Christie
SF: Brandon Ingram – Derrick Jones Jr. – Nick Martinelli (two-way)
PF: Rui Hachimura – Kobe Sanders – Baba Miller
C: Brook Lopez – Yanic Konan Niederhauser – Isaiah Jackson
Even with the Rui addition, the PF spot is not in a great space, as Kobe Sanders is undersized there and Baba Miller will probably not be ready for minutes. The same goes for the center rotation, which features a starter in Brook Lopez who is at best an 18-minute per game competent reserve. A trade of same kind to balance the roster makes sense, with the most bandied name right now being the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson in a sign and trade. How that would work and who the Clippers would send out in the deal remain to be seen, but I have my eyes on Derrick Jones Jr., who is a good player in his prime but someone that contenders will probably value more than the rebuilding Clippers.
At this point, I also think Bennedict Mathurin doesn’t make a ton of sense on this roster unless at least one if not two of the guards/wings are moved. The depth chart is by far at it’s most crowded at the SG/SF positions (that’s really where Sanders should be), and while Mathurin is more talented than most of those names, he’s also more inconsistent. Maybe the Clippers move him in a sign and trade elsewhere, or maybe they just let him walk, but his fit on this roster is certainly more in question than it was at the end of the regular season.
For now, Rui Hachimura is a Clipper. I think it’s a good contract and that he’s a fine player who fills a big hole on the roster even if does not fix some of the team’s most glaring weaknesses.