5 free agents the Cavaliers should avoid at all costs this summer

No. 3 free agent to avoid – Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have played better than expected throughout the playoffs, and while that success is driven by their superstars, the supporting cast has been excellent. That includes multiple players acquired at the NBA Trade Deadline, among them Rui Hachimura.

Hachimura was on fire for the Lakers’ first-round series win over the Memphis Grizzlies, and for the playoffs is shooting 55.2 percent from deep (through 11 games). The Cavaliers can absolutely use an offensively-talented forward who can bomb it away from deep. The problem is that the Hachimura of the playoffs is a very different player than the Hachimura of the last four years.

For his career, Hachimura has hit just 34.7 percent of his 3-pointers, and on just 2.4 attempts per game. He’s not a stretch big; he’s more of an occasional shooter who sometimes gets hot and usually stays cold. When you add in that he’s a subpar defender and an incredibly poor passer, the theory of signing and playing Hachimura goes away.

He has something to offer a team as a bench scorer who isn’t completely anemic from beyond the arc, but he is going to sign a new contract based on his hot playoff run. That’s a deal the Cavaliers should avoid when looking for a way to spend their MLE.