NBA Transaction Roundup: Hachimura Signing Headlines Monday's NBA Moves

The NBA transactions are starting to slow a bit, but there's still enough that happened on Monday to discuss in full here today.

We have a couple signings, an extension and a waive to discuss. Let's dive in!

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Hachimura Joining Clippers

Rui Hachimura is switching Los Angeles teams, going from the Lakers to the Clippers. He is signing a two-year deal worth $28 million with the Clippers.

Hachimura has been a solid asset for the Lakers over the past four years. He can start or come off the bench, and he's averaged double-digit points per game in every season of his career. He chips in a few rebounds and assists, but not much else on a nightly basis.

Hachimura lands in a great spot, after the Clippers traded away Kawhi Leonard earlier this offseason. That gives Hachimura the chance to start at power forward for LA.

Derrick Jones Jr. is another power forward option, so we'll see what the Clippers decide to do eventually. Either way, Hachimura should play enough minutes (even off the bench) to have some fantasy relevance. He should at least be a deep-league fantasy asset, and he could be an option in standard leagues too.

Brandon Ingram was a big part of the return for Leonard, and is the projected starter at small forward. Darius Garland, rookie Keaton Wagler and Brook Lopez are the other projected starters for LA.

Kris Dunn, Bennedict Mathurin, Gradey Dick, Jordan Miller, Kobe Sanders, Isaiah Jackson and Baba Miller are notable reserves that the Clippers could utilize in 2026-27. 

It's a solid roster overall, and the team should push for a postseason spot, unless injuries ravish the team. The Clippers are a couple steps below the top contenders in the Western Conference, so LA's time to shine is more down the line, after they can add some young players (from picks) to the roster.

Back to Hachimura though, he should be a solid fantasy asset over the next couple seasons. Treat him as a deep-league fantasy asset to start next season, and see if he can deliver enough to eventually work into standard leagues.

Cavs Lock in Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell is now locked into a new extension with the Cavaliers. It's worth $273 million over four years - there's a player option in 2030-31 and has a full trade kicker.

Mitchell is the leader of the Cavaliers, and will continue to power the team now that he's locked in to a long-term deal. Expect Mitchell to be a high-end fantasy asset for the entirety of the extension, if not longer.

James Harden is the projected other starting guard for Cleveland, with Max Strus, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as the other starters. Throw in Dennis Schroder, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Thomas Bryant, Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor and others and the Cavaliers have a pretty solid roster overall.

The Cavaliers will contend for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but it feels that the team is a player or two away from coming out of the East in the seasons to come. 

Make no mistake though, getting Mitchell locked in long term is a big thing for Cleveland. The Cavs can continue to build around him and if guys like Mobley and Allen can take steps forward, the Cavs could be the next team to come out of the East.

Other Transactions

There were a couple other moves made on Monday, but nothing was finalized, so I'll just mention them here. We will cover them in full when deals are completed.

Quinten Post is signing a three-year deal with Memphis worth $30 million. He was a restricted free agent, so the Warriors have until late tonight to match the offer.

I'm really intrigued to see what the Warriors do, as they have been linked to some high-end free agents, including LeBron James. If they move on from Post, that opens money and a roster spot to go after others.

The other big news from Monday was that the Sacramento Kings waived DeMar DeRozan. He becomes one of the top free agents, and is free to sign elsewhere whenever. The Kings tried to trade him, but couldn't find a suitor.

I could see the Warriors being interested in DeRozan. Several other contending teams could also have some interest, so I'm intrigued to see where DeRozan lands.