The Lakers don't want to trade Rui Hachimura — but they might ...

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the list of potential players who could be on the move over the next few weeks continues to grow. And as usual, the Los Angeles Lakers are tied to just about every big name that appears on the market.

New CBA rules have made it more challenging for teams to come to terms on blockbuster trades, which might account for the lack of seismic movement and drama that fans have grown accustomed to seeing from the NBA this time of year. Nevertheless, the Lakers (23-18) are seemingly always in the hunt to bring in more help for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

LA doesn't have an abundance of assets at its disposal, though, and the one player that could potentially help land a star has become an essential cog in head coach JJ Redick's rotation.

Rui Hachimura's name has been floated in trade rumors given his favorable contract ($17 million per year over the next two seasons) and upside as a soon-to-be 27-year-old who's in the middle of his physical prime. The former Gonzaga men's basketball standout has started all 36 of his appearances this season and is putting up 12.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1% from the field, including 41.1% from beyond the arc, and 76.8% from the free-throw line.

"He is their most direct pathway to making a 'bigger trade,'" Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times said of Hachimura. "That is the one contract — but he matters."

The Lakers are +6.1 points per 100 possessions with Hachimura on the floor this season, which is second-best on the team to Austin Reaves. Hachimura is also logging a career-high 32.1 minutes, fourth-most on the squad behind James, Davis and Reaves.

"JJ Redick has said this right in terms of, 'here is your job, go do your job," Woike said. "[Hachimura] has been number one in terms of consistency and doing that right now."

Woike added that a Lakers source was hesitant to discuss the idea of trading Hachimura ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Considering his importance as of late, it makes sense why LA's front office would hold off on trading Hachimura. However, there's no ignoring the business side of sports.

"I spoke to a Lakers source about this, where I was talking about a trade that involves Rui Hachimura going out in the trade. They're like, 'I don't know, Rui’s pretty good,'" Woike said. "And that is the thing I think that people have to realize is that like, there is a reason why that is not a contract, that is not a player you might have to attach the same assets to that you would if you were sending out say, Jared Vanderbilt in a trade. It’s important to remember that that like [Hachimura] has real value, he has value to what they're doing.”

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