The Washington Wizards have begun trade discussions with multiple teams centered on fourth-year forward Rui Hachimura, The Athletic has learned from league sources. Hachimura, who is set to become a restricted free agent in July, has drawn interest from several Western Conference teams in need of scoring, league sources said. – via Shams Charania, Josh Robbins, Shams Charania and Josh Robbins @ The Athletic
Fits the Juancho TPE perfectly. The Wizards have a day to get that deal done with the C’s. Of course, we’re not a Western Conference team.
I liked Rui Hachimura for the Celtics coming out of Gonzaga. He’s a starter level role player but he hasn’t developed much since his rookie year, so he’s never going to be a star.
Rui’s a couple inches taller than Grant and I wouldn’t call him a tweener. He’s definitely a power forward at 230 and plays like one, not like a wing. His offense is almost all inside although he’s improved his 3-point shot he’s at best league average.
His offensive numbers outside of that are all better than Grant’s though he is starting or playing big minutes on a mediocre team and not a contender. He would play a different game than Grant, but could certainly fill that role. He is usually active on defense, but I think Grant is the better all around defender. Rui grabs an extra rebound but that’s not much of an edge.
I wonder if West Coast teams are interested because he’s half Japanese and might appeal to the Asian market?
