Rui Hachimura, the star of Japan's men's national basketball team, is leaving the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) to join the crosstown LA Clippers.
Sports outlet ESPN reported Monday, Korea time, that Hachimura, who gained free-agent status, has agreed to a two-year, $28 million (about 42.8 billion won) contract with the Clippers.
Hachimura had hoped for a "sign-and-trade" arrangement, in which he would first sign with the Lakers before being dealt to another team, but the Lakers did not pursue the move, according to reports.
Selected ninth overall in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, Hachimura joined the Lakers via a trade during the 2022-2023 season. He then established himself as a core part of the team, playing as a starting forward alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic. In particular, he displayed outstanding offense in last season's playoffs, averaging 17.5 points with a 54.9% field-goal percentage and a 56.9% three-point percentage.
