Jonathan Kuminga seems to be very close to completing a move to the Los Angeles Lakers, but there is still a major obstacle that continues to delay the official announcement.
According to NBA Insider Keith Smith, the holdup isn’t around the trade package or the Atlanta Hawks‘ willingness to facilitate a deal. Instead, it’s about Kuminga’s contract demands that are preventing a sign-and-trade deal from crossing the finishing line.
“The challenge with Kuminga, and I talked to a lot of people about this throughout the course of the week, is Kuminga is not… if he’s going to take less money than what he wants, which the Lakers are talking something in the $15–16 million range, then he only wants to do it for a year. He doesn’t want to do the three-year deal. And in order to be signed and traded, he would have to have a three-year contract. A sign-and-trade has to be at least three years in length. And then that kind of gets him stuck a little bit.”
“So he doesn’t want to be on a smaller contract than what he values himself at. With that, and then for the Hawks, it sounds like the Hawks are ready to go with something centered around Jarred Vanderbilt and outgoing draft capital, as we’ve seen them do already this summer when they got Aaron Wiggins, and they got Luguentz Dort and the like.”
“But this time they get some draft capital coming in for facilitating a Kuminga sign-and-trade. But it sounds like it’s on Kuminga’s side, where he wants a little bit more money. And you can’t do… a lot of people said, ‘Just do a one-year deal.’ You can’t do a one-year deal on a sign-and-trade. It has to be a minimum of a three-year deal. So that’s where it’s a little bit stuck.”
According to the NBA’s collective bargaining rules, in a sign-and-trade deal, the player must sign a contract that runs at least three years, with the first season fully guaranteed. That means Kuminga simply can’t agree to a one-year prove-it deal, which the Lakers were hoping for.
Recent developments have put the Lakers as the favorites to land the 23-year-old forward.
After Mario Hezonja’s decision to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA Insider Brett Siegel reported that the Lakers are Kuminga’s only realistic option. With the Cavaliers out of the picture, there is hope that the Lakers and the Hawks can complete a sign-and-trade deal around Jarred Vanderbilt.
And the Hawks appear to be making this deal work. According to Smith, the Hawks are reportedly okay with taking on Vanderbilt’s contract along with the draft capital needed to complete this trade. The Lakers could also include a 2032 first-round pick swap to make this deal work.
But the issue remains with Kuminga and his demands for himself.
The Lakers want to sign Kuminga in the $15–16 million annual range. But Kuminga definitely believes he is worth more and is holding out to get a better deal before committing to three guaranteed seasons.
It would only make sense for Kuminga to accept less money if he can re-enter free agency next year after rebuilding his value. But the NBA rules don’t allow that option through a sign-and-trade deal.
Despite all the issues, the Lakers are highly motivated to get a deal done.
Since LeBron James departed in free agency, the Lakers have completely overhauled their roster around Luka Doncic. The front office has already added nine new faces, but adding a starting-caliber forward remains one of the biggest priorities.
And Kuminga fits that need perfectly. His athleticism, defensive versatility and ability to attack the rim make him a perfect fit next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. The Lakers see Kuminga as an immediate starter, which shows how highly they believe in him.
The former No. 7 overall pick has shown his potential throughout his NBA career. Last season, Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range in 36 games last season playing for the Golden State Warriors and the Hawks.
With the Lakers and the Hawks ready to finalize a trade, the final decision still rests with Kuminga.
If the two sides can find a common number and contract structure that satisfies both Kuminga and the Lakers, this could prove to be a game-changing signing for Los Angeles, as they finally secure the athletic forward they have been searching for all offseason. Until then, one of the offseason’s most awaited moves remains on hold.
