The Washington Wizards are likely to be without Rui Hachimura to start training camp.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Wizards forward is reportedly away from the team for personal reasons.
Wizards forward Rui Hachimura is out indefinitely with an excused absence (personal reasons), sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Wizards training camp begins Tuesday.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 25, 2021
The Wizards certainly need Rui Hachimura primed and ready for next season. With Russell Westbrook now traded to the Lakers, there's going to be a huge void needed to be filled. He could be one of several candidates to step up and take the secondary star role alongside Bradley Beal.
Things could get interesting in terms of how Washington figures out its early-season rotation. Rookie head coach Wes Unseld Jr. comes in with a fresh perspective and isn't exactly tied down to the starters of the previous season. With Rui potentially missing his chance to make a training camp impression, perhaps this opens the door for a guy like Kyle Kuzma to emerge as the starter right out of the gate.
It's definitely good news that he won't be missing training camp due to any physical injury. But for Rui to miss the start of Wizards training camp, there must be something very serious that needs to be taken care of on his end. Here's to hoping everything turns out alright for Rui Hachimura, his family, or whatever is ailing him at the moment.
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