The Lakers aren’t a team like the Portland Trail Blazers, where the ball flows through everyone. That makes it especially hard for their supporting players to find rhythm. Otherwise, Gabe Vincent would have had a sizzling impact, judging from his postseason run with the Miami Heat. Without actively feeling the game, even an open shot feels smothered. But the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura has found a balance, ways to keep being impactful despite irregular shot attempts.

He didn’t adapt to it immediately. Hachimura shot under 30% from three in his first season with the Lakers. But since then, the former Wizards forward has developed a sharp jumper. While speaking to The Athletic, Hachimura explained the mental adjustment that helped him stay in rhythm without necessarily needing to shoot consistently.

“If I didn’t touch the ball for like whole quarter, like, it’s done for me… When I had that always I used to think ‘Oh f—. Like I couldn’t shoot. I didn’t touch the ball.’ But now, I’m trying to think ‘OK, what I can do to help to win this game? Rebound, box out, help defense. Those are little movements that’s gonna keep me into the game. So then, when I get to the ball, I’m still in rhythm,” he told The Athletic.

That’s led to another season where Rui Hachimura ranks as the Lakers’ most lethal three-point shooting threat. His attempts vary from game to game. Still, the 27-year-old has only had three games without converting a triple this season. Against the Mavericks, Hachimura played pressuring defense and made things disruptive. He didn’t shoot a single shot in the third quarter or most of the fourth quarter.

But finding ways to be productive adds confidence. That spirals into heightened focus, and Rui Hachimura ended up making the two biggest shots of the night to help the Lakers march back from a double-digit lead. His acceptance to play such a role is pivotal for the Lakers to establish roster balance.

Still, Hachimura finds himself the focus of trade talks.

Lakers reportedly open to trading Rui Hachimura

There’s only ten days before in-season player movement is prohibited. The trade deadline’s been awfully quiet due to the range of injured stars. The Lakers aren’t demanding stars but clearly need to make a change. And an expiring contract, like Hachimura’s acts as a fascinating tool for financial flexibility for teams looking forward to doing major business in the summer.

Hachimura is a coveted commodity that meets those parameters. Out of the Lakers’ expiring contracts, he has shown the most promise. And according to Evan Sidery, the franchise is willing to part ways with the 27-year-old. But on the contrary, it’s also well understood that the Lakers can’t make any significant moves.

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That’s not the case in the summer. The Lakers could have as many as three first-round picks to trade, as well as plenty of cap space to add a star. Out of the current roster, Rui Hachimura, to me, is a keeper. He’s a versatile defender, a spot-up shooter who has worked well playing beside Luka Doncic.

The urgency to make a change is understandable. But it might not prove to be the most sensible choice if the Lakers choose to let go of Hachimura.