Rui Hachimura's pressure on the Lakers makes the fans worry

Even when the Lakers didn't win the NBA championship title this season, and it became a failure after being swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, one player was a complete revelation in the playoffs for the purple and gold: Rui Hachimura.

Since then, Hachimura has become a key player for coach Ham's team and is one of the top priorities for the offseason to the Front Office, as the Japanese wingman will be hitting free agency, and other teams are already interested in signing him.

Hachimura wants to stay in Los Angeles, but he is open to going to another team, as he believes he wants to be when he is wanted, pressuring the Lakers to offer him a deal and close him down.

Rui said: "The reason why I requested the trade is that I wanted to be somewhere I could be happy and play basketball, that liked me as a basketball player, that believed in me, and the Lakers were one of the teams that was really interested in me," he said. "My agent and the team did a good job, and I went to the Lakers, and it was a crazy season for me. … Back at that time, we didn't even know we were going to make the playoffs. So, we made the playoffs, and the playoff run was pretty good. We lost to Denver, but it was pretty good for us. I don't know my future, but I just want to be somewhere I can be happy. The Lakers have been good, and we're going to see."

Hachimura pressuring the front office is a tactic, but one that is making the fans worry

The Lakers reportedly want to keep Hachimura and plan to match any offer he may receive as a restricted free agent. His somewhat noncommittal comments about the team may be more of a negotiating tactic in search of a more significant contract than a true reflection of his preference. Still, these comments worry the fans, as they want Hachimura back as a Laker.