Rui Hachimura Opens 2026-27 in a Clippers Uniform
Rui Hachimura enters his seventh season with a new team, now wearing No. 28 for the Clippers after spending last season with the Lakers. He is not on the injury report, and through his first three games this fall his minutes have climbed from the mid-teens into the mid-20s. Last season he shot well across the board for Los Angeles and played heavy minutes in the playoffs.
By the Clippers Nightly Desk · updated 6 d ago01The story of the nightNew Team, Same Number RangeHachimura starts 2026-27 with the Clippers, listed at forward, No.
Hachimura starts 2026-27 with the Clippers, listed at forward, No. 28, 6-8 and 230 pounds. He is 28 years old and in his seventh NBA season, out of Gonzaga. Last season he played for the Lakers, so this is a fresh setup for him in a new locker room and a new rotation. None of that shows up in a box score, but it is the backdrop for everything he does this fall. Clippers fans are getting a forward who, by last season's numbers, can shoot from all three levels and defend his position. How quickly he and his new teammates find a rhythm will show up in his minutes and his shot selection over the season's first weeks.
02Early Returns This SeasonHachimura has played three games so far in 2026-27.
Hachimura has played three games so far in 2026-27. On October 4 against Golden State, a win, he scored 21 points with 5 rebounds in 15.2 minutes. On October 10 against Toronto, a loss, he had 14 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 18.5 minutes. On October 14 against Denver, a win, he scored 16 points with 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 24.5 minutes, finishing a plus-5. The minutes have gone up in each outing, from 15.2 to 18.5 to 24.5, while the scoring has stayed in double figures every time. That is a reasonable start for a player getting integrated into a new team.
03What He Did Last SeasonIn 2025-26, Hachimura played 68 games for the Lakers, averaging 28.3 minutes, 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.8…
In 2025-26, Hachimura played 68 games for the Lakers, averaging 28.3 minutes, 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks, with 0.6 turnovers a game. His shooting was efficient: 51.4 percent from the field, 44.3 percent from three and 69.4 percent from the line, good for a 62.0 true shooting percentage. His usage rate was 14.9 percent and his plus-minus was plus-1.2. Those are the numbers Clippers fans should use as the baseline for what he can provide — a low-usage, high-efficiency scoring option who does not need the ball to be effective.
04Heavy Minutes in Last Season's PlayoffsHachimura's playoff log with the Lakers shows he carried a real role in the postseason.
Hachimura's playoff log with the Lakers shows he carried a real role in the postseason. Against Houston, he had a 21-point, 6-rebound game in a win on May 1, then 12 points in a loss on April 29 and 13 points in a loss on April 26, logging between 29.6 and 36.6 minutes in that series. Against Oklahoma City, he played even bigger minutes — 36.8, 38.8, 38.7 and 43.2 across four straight losses — scoring 18, 16, 21 and 25 points in those games. The 25-point, 43.2-minute outing on May 11 was his heaviest workload of the stretch, even though the Lakers lost that game by 2.
05Health ReportHachimura is not on the injury report heading into this stretch of the season, and there is no injury history listed…
Hachimura is not on the injury report heading into this stretch of the season, and there is no injury history listed for him. That is a clean bill of health as he adjusts to a new team, which matters given how much he was leaned on in last season's playoffs. For a 28-year-old forward entering his seventh season, staying off the injury list while his minutes climb is exactly what the Clippers need from him early on.
Hachimura11.5 ppg
Walker11.6 ppg
WAS
LAL