As NBA free agency rages on, several well-known athletes remain unsigned, including LeBron James and Draymond Green. While 23-year-old Jonathan Kuminga is not on their level, he’s still an intriguing young piece who could make a positive difference in the right situation.
The Lakers believe they can provide that ideal situation, which is why they’ve become increasingly aggressive in their pursuit of the young swingman. According to the latest reports, he’s already met with GM Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick, who believe he can be valuable as a perimeter floor spacer around Luka Doncic.
“The Lakers still hope to land Kuminga,” wrote ESPN NBA insider Anthony Slater. “The Lakers, however, then went out and used up the majority of their financial wiggle room to secure commitments from Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, leaving little leftover space for an offer to Kuminga. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick met with Kuminga virtually the next day and pitched him on a vision of being a high-minutes wing next to Luka Doncic in a spacious on-court environment conducive to Kuminga’s skill set, league sources told ESPN. They have one free roster spot remaining following the Looney deal, but that didn’t stop the Lakers’ pursuit of Kuminga, as multiple members of the organization, including players, reached out and expressed their desire for him to join them.”
The Lakers offer more than glitz and glamour for Kuminga. He can start at small forward and greatly enhance his worth by stepping up alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. So far, however, Kuminga has been hesitant to accept the offer, believing there might be better opportunities elsewhere.
“Pelinka has remained in touch with Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, subtly improving their offer in recent days,” reported Slater, “while reiterating to Kuminga his importance to what the Lakers are building around Doncic, a likely starting role and what the opportunity could do for his career. But Kuminga and Turner haven’t jumped at it, believing there are still avenues to better deals as the offseason dominoes continue to fall.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers, for instance, could prove even more attractive for Kuminga than the Purple and Gold. As they close in on LeBron James this summer, they’ve also expressed interest in JK, and joining the Cavs would put the young swingman in a favorable position to win his second title.
“The Cleveland Cavaliers also continue to have interest in Kuminga,” Slater added. “Kuminga has a high level of comfort with Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson, who coached Kuminga as a lead assistant for the Warriors during the wing’s first three NBA seasons. The Cavaliers, however, are currently wrapped up in the LeBron James sweepstakes, leaving the Lakers as the most aggressive pursuer before the James domino falls.”
When it comes to winning and playing meaningful games, Kuminga may not have a better opportunity than the Cavs. They’ve been one of the league’s best regular-season teams for years, and they are still fresh off a run to the Conference Finals with Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
Ultimately, whether it’s the Cavaliers, Lakers, or some other team entirely, Kuminga will start a new chapter this season that could define the rest of his career. With averages of 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 50.2% shooting and 33.2% shooting from three across five seasons, he has shown flashes of greatness before, and there is hope in his future, but he’ll have to elevate his game further to carve out a larger role on his next team.
