The Oklahoma City Thunder’s injury problems have turned urgent fast, and the need is obvious: they need another wing who can score now.
That’s where Rui Hachimura comes in. The Thunder have been hit hard in the same game against the LA Clippers, when both Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams went down early.
Wallace suffered a torn labrum and Williams dislocated his ankle, and both now will need surgery and may miss the rest of the season. On top of that, Alex Caruso will be out for some time with a sprained ankle.
With that kind of damage, Oklahoma City suddenly needs a reliable, score-first forward on a manageable contract, someone who can help without tying the team to a long-term commitment. Hachimura fits that description. He’s on a $14 million annual salary and has an upcoming club option, which gives the Thunder flexibility if they decide he’s not the answer.
There’s also a path for the Clippers to consider moving him. If they can turn Hachimura into draft capital, that would make sense for them too.
The fit on paper is pretty clean. Hachimura is the kind of role player Oklahoma City needs right now: a wing who can get buckets. Even though his scoring has been less efficient since joining the LA Clippers, his track record is still the selling point.
During his time with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Lakers, Hachimura established himself as a dangerous offensive piece. In the playoffs with the Lakers, he averaged over 17 points in 11 games while shooting 54.9% from the field and 56.9% from outside.
For a Thunder team that is about to lean heavily on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell, that kind of complementary scoring would matter. With Williams and Wallace sidelined for an extended stretch, opposing defenses are going to load up even more on Oklahoma City’s primary creators.
If either Wallace or Williams returns late in the season - or if both do - the Thunder could look even more dangerous. But they need help to get there.
And if Hachimura doesn’t work out, or if Oklahoma City decides he’s not worth keeping beyond this season, the club option gives them an exit.
For now, though, the case is simple: Hachimura looks like exactly the kind of target the Thunder should be pursuing, before the standings shift or the Clippers move him somewhere else first.
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Brook Lopez has been a major part of that start, giving the Clippers efficient scoring and reliable rebounding off the bench, while rookie Keaton Wagler has quickly become one of the most interesting pieces in the rotation with his all-around production. Gradey Dick and Kobe Sanders have also chipped in on both ends, and if this group keeps holding up, it could end up being one of the more important early-season reasons the Clippers have looked so balanced. [Read more 🡒]