Jonathan Kuminga is still sitting there in free agency, and for a while it looked like the Lakers might just have to accept they couldn’t afford him. They can only offer around $10 million a year. But there’s a workaround, and the Atlanta Hawks are apparently willing to help pull it off.
According to Khobi Price of The California Post, the Hawks are open to a sign-and-trade that sends Kuminga to Los Angeles. The proposed framework: Atlanta gets Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2032 first-round pick swap from the Lakers. That pick swap is basically the only first-round asset LA can trade this summer. They also have three second-round picks to play with — two from the Wizards and their own 2033 pick.
For Kuminga to get there via sign-and-trade, his new contract would need to be at least three or four years (option years don’t count), and the first season has to be fully guaranteed. That’s the league rule, not a negotiation point.
What’s in It for the Hawks?
Atlanta is mostly in this for that pick swap. Vanderbilt isn’t exactly a prize. He’s got two years and $25.7 million left on the extension he signed with the Lakers back in September 2023. That breaks down to $12.4 million for 2026-27 and then a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28. So he’s not cheap, and he’s not a star.
There’s a chance the Hawks flip him again, or maybe they use this as part of a bigger reshuffle. They’ve got other contracts they’re trying to move, like Buddy Hield’s now that his deal is guaranteed. So adding Vanderbilt might be a temporary step rather than the final destination.
The Lakers’ Side of This
For LA, this is about finally getting the young wing they’ve been circling. Kuminga is 22, athletic, and showed real flashes in Golden State. But giving up a pick swap — even one seven years out — is not nothing. The Lakers have to ask themselves if he’s worth that kind of long-term bet, especially when they’re in win-now mode with LeBron still playing at a high level.
It’s also worth noting that sign-and-trades are complicated. They hard-cap the team receiving the player, which in this case would be the Lakers. That could limit their flexibility for the rest of the offseason. So there’s risk here beyond just the assets going out the door.
Kuminga remains one of the more intriguing names left on the market. The Lakers were always the team everyone assumed would find a way. Now it looks like the Hawks might be the ones helping them get it done.
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