The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed restricted free agent Rui Hachimura to a 3-year, $51 million contract.

Hachimura and Austin Reaves were the Lakers' top offseason priorities. Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka has stressed the importance of establishing continuity heading into next season. In February, he characterized the Lakers’ trade deadline moves as “pre-agency.”

Hachimura — the no. 9 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft who was acquired on Jan. 23 for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks — shined in Los Angeles after three-plus underwhelming seasons with the Washington Wizards. In 33 regular-season games (nine starts) with the Lakers, the 6'8 power forward averaged 15.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per 36 minutes.

In the playoffs, Hachimura — along with fellow 25-year-old Reaves — stepped up in eye-opening fashion. He put up 12.2 points on smoldering .557/.487/.882 shooting splits. He punished the Memphis Grizzlies for leaving him open from downtown. His low-post defense went up a level.

(Both Reaves and Hachimura work closely with Lakers assistant and player development guru Phil Handy, who recently revealed that he'll return to Darvin Ham's staff.)

At exit interviews, Hachimura — who will not play for Japan in the upcoming FIBA World Cup — called his four months with the Lakers the “best time of my life” and believes “it will be great for my career.”

The Japanese-born Hachimura decided to wear no. 28 with the Lakers as a salute to Kobe Bryant, who wore no. 8, and his daughter Gianna, who wore no. 2.