Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka declined to address the possibility of a contract extension for forward Rui Hachimura during his annual preseason press conference.
Hachimura, 27, is entering the final season of the three-year, $51 million deal he signed in the summer of 2023. He is scheduled to earn $18.3 million in 2025-26 and can become an unrestricted free agent next July. Under league rules, the Lakers may extend his contract through Oct. 21 for up to four additional years at a salary beginning slightly above his current figure, but Pelinka said negotiations will remain private.
“I think the best thing to say is we feel strongly about Rui and we don’t make it a practice when we’re in discussions with someone under contract to talk about it. So I’ll just kind of leave that one to the side,” Pelinka told reporters.
The Lakers built what is effectively a one-year roster for 2025-26; only four of the team’s 14 players have guaranteed money on the books for 2026-27. Hachimura’s expiring contract could make him a trade candidate if Los Angeles seeks a different roster fit during the season.
Pelinka praised Hachimura’s development since the club acquired him in January 2023, noting his confidence and improved play. Last season the forward shot 40 percent from three-point range while sharing the floor with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Redick Receives Extension
Pelinka also announced that head coach JJ Redick has agreed to a contract extension. Redick guided Los Angeles to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference during his first season on the bench, navigating injuries and a major midseason trade.
The Lakers open training camp with Hachimura still unsigned beyond this year and Redick now secured for the foreseeable future.
Source: Lakers Nation
