Trade rumors have been swirling in the NBA all season long, but not many deals had ended up taking place, until Monday morning of course. The Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards kicked off the day by completing a trade centered around Rui Hachimura going to the Lakers and Kendrick Nunn going to the Wizards. And with the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline creeping up, it seems like this is only the start of the NBA’s hectic trade season.

Aside from these two players, the Lakers will also be giving up three second-round draft picks as part of the deal. They include the Lakers own 2029 second-rounder, the less favorable pick of the Wizards and Lakers second-rounders in 2028, and the Chicago Bulls second-rounder in 2023.

After Hachimura’s bombshell interview dropped on Sunday, it seemed like only a matter of time until he got traded. And sure enough, one day later, he has found himself with a new home. So let’s take a closer look at this trade and hand out final grades for both sides and see why they are deserving of such grades.

Grading the Rui Hachimura trade

Los Angeles Lakers

After being involved in trade rumors for what feels like years, the Lakers finally have made a move to improve their rotation. Hachimura isn’t going to immediately make them a title contender, but for a team that desperately needed some help in their frontcourt, this deal will give them exactly what they are looking for.

Hachimura was the ninth overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, but it never felt like he came close to realizing his potential with the Wizards.