The Los Angeles Lakers enter the 2025-26 season with what is effectively a one-year roster. General manager Rob Pelinka kept future flexibility in mind when building out the team, as only four of their 14 players have a guaranteed contract for the 2026-27 season, not including players like Rui Hachimura.
Hachimura, 27, is on the final year of the three-year, $51 million contract he signed with the team in the summer of 2023. He’s making $18.3 million this season but is currently slated to be an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, he is extension-eligible until the start of the season on Oct. 21.
The Lakers and Hachimura could agree to a deal of up to four years based on a slight raise of his $18.3 million figure. However, there hasn’t been any movement on that yet. When Pelinka was asked about this at his annual pre-season press conference, he kept his cards close to his vest.
“I think the best thing to say is we feel strongly about Rui and we don’t make it a practice when we’re in discussions with someone under contract to talk about it. So I’ll just kind of leave that one to the side,” Pelinka said.
Pelinka had plenty of great words to say about Hachimura, though, even if an extension isn’t on the horizon.
“Just seeing his growth from the time we traded for him, it feels like every season he’s gotten a little better at something,” Pelinka said. “Just being around him the last couple weeks, you can tell there’s a confidence in his spirit and a comfortability with this place and JJ and his staff. It just exudes out of Rui, so I think this year is gonna be another jump up for him. He’s a really, really important player for our team.”
The Lakers are going to need everything they got from Hachimura last season and more if they want to elevate themselves to championship contenders. Having a 40% 3-point shooter next to Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves is essential, even if he’s not an elite defender.
But due to the expiring contract, the Lakers may have to consider trading Hachimura if a deal for an even more well-fitting player comes along.
Rob Pelinka announces extension for JJ Redick
Going into last season, arguably the biggest question surrounding the Lakers was whether new head coach JJ Redick would be able to handle the pressures that come with the job of leading the premier franchise in the NBA as a first time coach at any level.
Redick proved himself to be more than up to the task as he handled injuries and a massive midseason trade that forced a complete shakeup in how to best utilize the roster to lead the Lakers to the third seed in a stacked Western Conference.
By all accounts, the Lakers have found their head coach for the present and future and their actions say the same as Rob Pelinka announced at their recent press conference that the franchise has extended the contract of Redick.
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