The Clippers have added a major perimeter weapon, and they beat out some notable competition to do it.
Los Angeles officially signed Rui Hachimura on Wednesday night, according to a press release from the team. The former Lakers forward had also drawn interest from the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs as a free agent, and ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Hachimura turned down offers from those two teams, along with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets, before choosing the Clippers.
“The LA Clippers have signed forward Rui Hachimura, it was announced by Lawrence Frank, President of Basketball Operations,” the team said in its release.
Frank made it clear why the Clippers wanted him.
“Rui is an elite three-point shooter and an efficient mid-range scorer who uses his size to exploit mismatches,” said Frank. “He will strengthen our frontcourt with his one-on-one defense and ability to space the floor.
Rui is also a well-liked and respected teammate who continues to grow his game. We’re excited to add him.”
Hachimura arrives after a strong postseason stretch from deep. The Gonzaga product averaged 17.5 points per game in the playoffs while hitting 54.9% of his shots overall and 56.9% from three-point range. Only Spencer Jones, Jamison Battle, Kelly Olynyk, and Royce O’Neale posted better long-range percentages among playoff contributors.
That shooting touch wasn’t a one-off, either. During the regular season, Hachimura knocked down 44.3% of his three-pointers, and he should give the Clippers another reliable floor-spacer heading into the 2026-27 season.
In Other News...
Clippers Big Man Injury Update Just Raised A Bigger Concern
Yanic Konan Niederhausers recovery has become one of those quiet Clippers storylines worth watching as camp approaches. After the March Lisfranc injury that ended his season, he is still in a walking boot, and the team has yet to offer any concrete timetable for when he might get back on the floor.
For a roster that has been trying to sort out its big-man depth, the uncertainty is the part that stings. Niederhauser had started to carve out regular minutes before the injury, and while the Clippers are not saying much publicly, the lack of a timeline leaves plenty of room for concern about how soon he can be counted on again. [Read more 🡒]
NBA Just Gave Pacers Fans Another Reason To Question The League
The NBAs latest round of discipline has stirred up more than a little skepticism around how the league polices its own rules. Utah was hit with a hefty fine for the way it managed late-game rest, while Indiana also got punished under the Player Participation Policy, a reminder that the league is still trying to draw a line between strategy and conduct it considers harmful to competition.
For Clippers fans, the broader issue may feel familiar because league enforcement often looks clearer in the abstract than it does in practice. The Pacers and Jazz cases have reopened the same old debate about consistency, especially when other teams have been part of similar tanking-related conversations without drawing the same kind of immediate attention, and that uneven history is what keeps making these rulings feel bigger than the fines themselves. [Read more 🡒]
