The crosstown rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers gets a bizarre and highly skeptical layer after Rui Hachimura’s free agency. LakeShow was having a hard time accepting that Rob Pelinka let the forward walk while overpaying for new acquisitions like Walker Kessler, who signed a $130 million four-year deal, and Quentin Grimes, who signed a $60 million deal for the same period. Hachimura, after a productive three-and-a-half years in purple and gold, is heading to Inglewood via free agency. However, the behind-the-scenes mechanics of the move have raised eyebrows across NBA media.

The rapid progression of dealing a likable role player has led prominent analysts to suggest that the Lakers intentionally avoided cooperating in a sign-and-trade deal out of distrust toward their rival’s financial dealings.

“It’s, you know, like the sign-and-trade machinations. I mean, Lord knows what really was going on there,”  The Athletic’s Brian Kamenetzky told his brother, Andy, on Locked on Lakers.

Brian hinted at previous reports of the communication between the two LA front offices. The Lakers wanted draft picks in exchange for Hachimura, but the Clippers only offered cash. In the end, Hachimura became a free agent and was able to sign with the Clippers without the Lakers getting involved. Brian hinted that it was a deliberate move by the Lakers to keep their books clear.

“Doesn’t sound like the Lakers were really offered much to do this. They just didn’t want that dirty tree money that the Clippers are giving away. Wouldn’t surprise me, if we’re being honest here, that this is one way the Clippers were looking to launder money as if the franchise was a big car wash or something like that,” he said.

The “tree money” reference relates to the Clippers’ controversy involving the tree-planting company Aspiration. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was accused of using the company to funnel a $28 million sponsorship deal to Kawhi Leonard, allegedly circumventing the league’s salary cap rules. However, Brian Kamenetzky’s suggestion that the Lakers were cautious because of that remains purely speculative at this point.

Even so, it’s understandable why rival teams might be cautious when dealing with the financial offers of a franchise that is currently under investigation. Andy Kamenetzky joked that if the Clippers were desperate to force a sign-and-trade, “you would think that they would have offered just so much money that the Lakers couldn’t turn it down.”

Still, Brian maintained that the entire transaction “stinks to high heaven,” suggesting that there’s more to Rui Hachimura’s signing than meets the eye.

Questions loom about Lakers’ handling of Rui Hachimura’s future 

When the Clippers were getting nowhere with the Lakers’ front office, Hachimura chose to intentionally delay his free agency process. He had offers from the Spurs and Timberwolves, but he didn’t want to leave LA, and the Lakers didn’t want to part with draft capital to have a sign-and-trade with them. He specifically waited for clarity between the two franchises while the Lakers went ahead and signed other players.

With the Lakers spending big to bring in Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Grimes, and Collin Sexton, the roster underwent a major overhaul. They also re-signed Austin Reaves, while Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard departed. LeBron James left the franchise, and Deandre Ayton was traded to Washington.

The Lakers committed $130 million to acquire Kessler from the Utah Jazz. So, while fans wondered why the team wasn’t willing to spend to keep Luke Kennard or Hachimura, the Japanese forward seemingly saw the writing on the wall.

He decided not to wait around for a sign-and-trade. As soon as free agency opened on July 6, Hachimura agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers, with a team option for the second season. He will earn $3 million less than the $17 million salary he made with the Lakers, taking a significant pay cut to remain in Los Angeles, albeit with the cross-town rivals.

In the aftermath, fans and analysts alike speculated whether Hachimura didn’t have enough demand on the trade market besides the Clippers. Reportedly, Hachi didn’t fit the team’s new need for multi-dimensional players with versatile skill sets around Doncic and Reaves. But like Kamenetzky, many wondered about the reasons Pelinka’s office didn’t orchestrate a sign-and-trade for Rui.

The political maneuvering between the Lakers and Clippers front offices remains highly contentious since the days they shared Crypto.com Arena and Jerry West joined the Clippers. Regardless, Hachimura walks away with his financial future fully secured while keeping his LA ties.