Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura has been ruled out indefinitely with an excused absence for personal reasons, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Saturday.
The Wizards open training camp on Tuesday.
Hachimura was expected to play an important role for the Wizards this coming season under new head coach Wes Unseld Jr. The 23-year-old was projected to once again start at the 4, which he has done in every one of his 105 career games.
Washington drafted Hachimura ninth overall in 2019, and he has been a mainstay in the lineup ever since. The Toyama, Japan, native averaged 13.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season while shooting 47.8% from the field and 32.8% from deep.
With Hachimura sidelined, the Wizards will need Davis Bertans to step up at the 4. The Latvian is entering his third season with Washington and has played an important role off the bench over the last two years, averaging 13.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 111 games while shooting 42.1% from the field and 41% from three-point range.
Washington finished eighth in the Eastern Conference last season with a 34-38 record and fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs. With Hachimura out indefinitely and Russell Westbrook off to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Wizards could be in for an even worse finish in 2021-22.
