Domantas Sabonis Reveals Rui Hachimura Considered Los Angeles His Home Long Before Lakers Trade

Rui Hachimura is going to be one of the most closely-watched players in the NBA over the next few weeks as he becomes the first piece the Lakers have acquired to boost their push for the 2023 NBA Playoffs. A price of Kendrick Nunn and 3 second-round picks was a fair one for the young forward that adds some much-needed size to the Lakers' roster.

Hachimura is a former lottery pick after spending 3 seasons with the Gonzaga Bulldogs from 2016 to 2019. Another talented forward that came out of Gonzaga a year before Hachimura joined was Domantas Sabonis. The alumni had a relationship with Hachimura when he was in Gonzaga and revealed that the Japanese forward has been dreaming about playing in LA since his college days. 

Hachimura has given new meaning to the word manifestation, as he ended up leaving a situation he was not happy with to be a part of a team that he wanted to play for in college. Though it's not called the Staples Center anymore, it's still among the most historic venues in basketball.

Will We See A New Side Of Rui Hachimura In LA?

If this has been a long-term goal of Hachimura, he should be raring to go to LA. He found his on-court rhythm in recent games and capped off his Washington career with a 30-point game. Hopefully, he can be a source of 15-18 consistent points in LA. Magic Johnson expects Rui to be more aggressive on the court and this is the perfect time to do so.

He was not happy with his situation in Washington, so to be on a team that wanted him and in the city where he wanted to play, he has to be extremely motivated to show the range of his skill set. There is a lot of valid optimism that's come up in Laker fans after this trade but that'll only be justified when Hachimura gets on the court and delivers on his lottery-pick potential.