The Lakers are still shopping. But for now, Jonathan Kuminga isn’t walking through that door.
After an offseason that’s already seen them reshuffle the roster around Luka Doncic, Los Angeles had its eyes on the Hawks restricted free agent wing. At one point, a sign-and-trade involving Jarred Vanderbilt was reportedly on the table. That was last week. Now? Not so much.
Dan Woike of The Athletic checked in on the situation, and the update isn’t great for anyone waiting on a Lakers-Kuminga deal.
“He appears to be the biggest upside play left on the table, and could re-emerge as a target if his market remains tepid,” Woike wrote. “Cleveland, according to league sources, is the team most-often connected to Kuminga other than the Lakers.”
The Cavs have quietly emerged as a real threat here. And with talks between the Hawks and Lakers cooling off considerably, L.A. might be left watching from the sidelines.
A roller coaster worth chasing?
Kuminga has always been a polarizing player. Even during his time with the Warriors, you’d get flashes of elite athleticism followed by head-scratching mistakes. After Golden State shipped him to Atlanta at the trade deadline, he gave Hawks fans a little bit of everything — exciting finishes at the rim and moments where you wondered if he knew where to be on defense.
His playoff cameo against the Knicks in the first round was basically a highlight reel mixed with a blooper reel. One possession he’d blow past his man and throw down a dunk. The next he’d pick up a silly foul or turn it over in transition. The talent is obvious. The consistency is not.
But in a vacuum, it makes sense that Rob Pelinka would kick the tires. The Lakers need long, athletic wings around Doncic. That’s been priority one since the trade. Kuminga checks the physical box. He’s 6-foot-7, explosive, and still only 22 years old. The potential is still in there somewhere.
The question is whether L.A. is willing to pay what it would take to unlock it.
Market cooling could help the Lakers
The Lakers are probably fine with the market going quiet on Kuminga. If no other team forces Atlanta’s hand with a big offer sheet, Los Angeles can try to get him on a cheaper deal. That might mean fewer assets going back to the Hawks or a smaller salary slot in a sign-and-trade.
It’s a waiting game now. Cleveland is lurking. Atlanta is listening. And the Lakers are hoping the price drops low enough that they can swoop back in without giving up anything they’d regret.
For now, the phone lines are quiet. But that could change fast.
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