Haynes: Rui Hachimura ‘Not Enough,’ as Lakers Still Lack Perimeter Shooter

While the Lakers added a nice piece in forward Rui Hachimura, he is “not enough” to help them reach great heights, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT.

“(Hachimura) fills a need as somebody who is youthful, versatile, can guard multiple positions,” Haynes said on the This League Uncut podcast with Marc Stein of The Stein Line. “But there’s still a desperate need to have a sniper on the court (alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis). They still need a shooter.”

Haynes added that Hachimura is undergoing a “trial period” in LA, though Haynes suspected they will indeed sign him to a contract extension, as we relayed here.

“They get to see and analyze and evaluate if this is somebody that they’re going to commit to beyond this season,” Haynes said. “I think they will. … But it’s not going to be enough. This team as constructed is just not that good. 

“They still don’t have the depth. The pieces still don’t fit. So this is not going to solve everything.”

Haynes went on to say that Lakers GM Rob Pelinka still has a “move or two left in him” ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline.

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic has been the Lakers’ top target, Stein said, but added that Detroit “has held firm” on not trading him for anything less than an unprotected first-round pick.

“If I’m the Lakers, I can’t do that,” Stein said.

But if not Bogdanovic, the Lakers will still need to find a reliable perimeter threat, the host agreed.

“They need a marksman,” Haynes said. “That’s what they don’t have.”