Jonathan Kuminga’s weird free agency now has another team involved. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Timberwolves have shown interest in the 23-year-old forward, joining the Lakers and Cavaliers as the three teams most connected to him right now.
Minnesota only has the $6.1 million taxpayer mid-level exception available, so landing Kuminga for anything close to the money he wants probably requires a sign-and-trade or another roster move. Still, the basketball fit is interesting enough that the Timberwolves should at least explore it.
The Cavaliers have been linked to Kuminga for a while, although signing Mario Hezonja may have complicated the situation a little. Hezonja signed a one-year, $2.8 million contract, but the deal isn’t fully guaranteed, and there’s still noise about him possibly returning to the EuroLeague. Cleveland’s interest in Kuminga could depend on what happens with Hezonja and the rest of the roster.
The Lakers have a different problem. They’re already packed with wings and currently have 16 guaranteed players, one more than the regular-season limit. They would almost certainly need a sign-and-trade to pay Kuminga anything close to his asking price, while also moving at least one or two players to create space.
Kuminga obviously has talent, but he’s also one of the weirdest free agents still available. He wants to be paid like a major offensive piece, even though he remains inconsistent as a shooter, defender, and decision-maker. Without much more introduction, let’s look at how he would fit with all three teams and where he should actually want to go.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers might honestly be the worst option for Kuminga, both for next season and for his long-term value. To explain it better, we must rewind the clock to a summer back.
Remember, Kuminga spent almost the entire 2025 offseason fighting for a huge contract with the Warriors. Golden State reportedly offered him three years and $75.2 million, but only $48.3 million was guaranteed because the final season was a team option.
Kuminga rejected the longer structure because he wanted more control and clearly believed a much bigger contract would eventually come. He settled for a two-year, $48.5 million agreement with another team option before being traded to the Hawks during the season.
Things didn’t exactly go according to plan. Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field during the 2025-26 season. After joining the Hawks, he put up 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in only 22.1 minutes per game.
Those numbers weren’t horrible, but they also weren’t enough to convince Atlanta that he was worth $24.3 million. The Hawks declined his team option after reportedly failing to find a trade partner, which probably wasn’t the outcome Kuminga expected when he rejected Golden State’s original offer.
Now he reportedly wants somewhere around $20.0 million to $25.0 million per season, which feels pretty crazy for a player who still hasn’t established exactly what he is. Kuminga isn’t a reliable shooter. He hasn’t become the defender his physical tools suggest he should be. He can score when he gets downhill, but he also believes he should have the ball much more than most contenders would probably allow.
That was basically the entire problem with Steve Kerr and the Warriors. Kuminga wanted more touches, more freedom, and a larger offensive role. Kerr wanted him to defend, cut, run in transition, and make quicker decisions without slowing the offense.
Going to the Lakers would probably create the same argument all over again. They made more sense earlier in the offseason, when they desperately needed younger wings who could defend and bring some athleticism. That need isn’t the case anymore.
They already added Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams, and Cameron Carr. They also still have Jake LaRavia and Dalton Knecht. None of those players is perfect, but the Lakers have enough options that paying Kuminga around $20.0 million doesn’t feel necessary.
Kuminga also isn’t the lockdown defender the Lakers need. He has the size, strength, and athleticism to guard multiple positions, but having the tools and actually using them consistently are two completely different things.
Offensively, the fit could be even worse. Luka Doncic will control almost every important possession. Austin Reaves will be the secondary creator. That would leave Kuminga cutting, running in transition, setting screens, or standing in the corner while Doncic works.
There’s nothing wrong with that role, but it clearly isn’t the role Kuminga sees for himself. He wants chances to attack with the ball, punish mismatches, and create his own offense. With the Lakers, he would be asked to become a low-usage complementary forward who shoots open threes and stays active without the ball.
That’s pretty much the opposite of what he has been asking for during the last two years. The Lakers would also need to send out salary and potentially assets in a sign-and-trade. Using draft capital and rotation players to acquire Kuminga would be a risky move for a team already filled with wings.
There are situations where he could help. He would bring athleticism, transition scoring, and another player capable of getting to the rim. Still, this roster doesn’t give him the role he wants or cover enough of his weaknesses.
For both sides, it feels forced.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers needed Kuminga before signing Hezonja, and I still think they need him now. Outside of Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland doesn’t have many young wings who look like long-term two-way starters. Tyson was one of their biggest surprises last season, averaging 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 26.9 minutes.
His development was a huge reason why the Cavaliers felt comfortable trading De’Andre Hunter to the Kings for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis. Tyson gave them size, shooting, rebounding, and another player who could attack closeouts without needing the offense built around him.
Then, for some reason, the Cavaliers basically stopped trusting him during the playoffs. Tyson averaged only 4.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 12.7 minutes across 17 postseason games. Cleveland needed more size and athleticism around Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, but Tyson’s role disappeared at the exact moment when those qualities should’ve been useful.
That’s part of why Kuminga still makes sense, since the Cavs need another physical wing who can score at the rim, run the floor, and give them something different from their smaller guards. Hezonja could help as a shooter and secondary scorer, but he isn’t exactly a guaranteed long-term answer after spending several years in Europe.
James Harden also still needs to return on a new contract after declining his $42.3 million player option. Once that deal is resolved, Cleveland will have a clearer idea of what it can offer Kuminga and whether a sign-and-trade is possible.
Basketball-wise, Cleveland is a much better fit than the Lakers. Mitchell and Harden would obviously control most of the offense, but there would still be room for Kuminga to attack. Harden has always been excellent at creating easy scoring chances for athletic forwards and big men, while Mitchell would prevent defenses from loading up on Kuminga whenever he gets the ball.
Evan Mobley averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season, but he still doesn’t attack like a consistent second or third offensive option. He has improved, but there are still too many games where he seems happy taking whatever the defense gives him instead of forcing the issue, and for that reason, Kuminga could become their third aggressive scorer.
Sometimes he forces the issue too much, no arguing about it. Still, Cleveland could use someone with that mentality. When the offense slows down, Kuminga can attack a mismatch, get downhill, or create free throws. The Cavaliers don’t have many forwards capable of doing that.
Mobley and Jarrett Allen would also protect him defensively. Kuminga wouldn’t need to guard the best opponent every night or erase every mistake around the rim. He would still need to compete and stay focused, but having two elite interior defenders behind him would make his life much easier.
There were some very good moments with the Hawks to support his signing as a future bet. Kuminga scored 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting in his Atlanta debut, adding seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals in only 24 minutes. He looked aggressive, athletic, and comfortable attacking without overthinking every possession.
He also averaged 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds during the first-round series against the Knicks while shooting 48.3% from the field, the problem was everything around those numbers.
Kuminga shot only 20.8% from three during the series and finished Game 6 with a minus-44, the worst plus-minus by a reserve in a playoff game during the play-by-play era. Once the Knicks started forcing him to make quicker reads and defend more complicated actions, the same problems came back.
Cleveland could turn him into a very useful two-way slasher, but his shooting remains the biggest concern. Playing Kuminga next to Mobley and Allen could destroy the spacing in certain lineups. If opponents ignore him from three during the playoffs, Tyson, Hezonja, Merrill, or another shooter like Max Strus could easily end up closing games instead, and that would probably frustrate Kuminga again.
The Cavaliers are still a good destination because they need his physical profile and can cover some of his defensive mistakes. He could get enough touches to stay involved without becoming too much of a ball-hog. Still, he would need to accept a secondary role. Defend with effort, cut hard, run the floor, attack closeouts, and stop treating every touch like an isolation opportunity.
If he can do that, Cleveland could work very well. I just don’t think it’s the best destination available.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are easily the best destination for Kuminga since Minnesota completely changed its roster after trading Julius Randle to the Nets and then moving Naz Reid to the Hornets for LaMelo Ball.
The new core is built around Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. That group has a ridiculous amount of talent, but it also has a pretty obvious hole at power forward.
Right now, the projected lineup could feature Ball, Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, McDaniels, and Gobert. That would force McDaniels to defend much bigger forwards almost every night, even though he weighs only around 185 pounds.
Kuminga would immediately help fix that as the Wolves could use him at power forward, let McDaniels defend the best opposing wing, and give Kuminga the easier matchup. He would still need to compete defensively, obviously, but Minnesota wouldn’t have to pretend he’s some elite stopper who can shut down every star.
That’s important because there’s a thought about Kuminga like he’s a much better defender than he actually is, which I don’t buy completely. But in his favor, the offensive fit is even better.
Ball wants to play fast, throw the ball ahead, and create before defenses get organized. Edwards is also much more dangerous when he attacks in transition or catches the defense moving instead of spending every possession against five set defenders.
Kuminga would give them another player who can fly down the court, finish above the rim, and punish slower forwards. A lineup with Ball, Edwards, McDaniels, Kuminga, and Gobert could play ridiculously fast. There would be a lot of chaos, turnovers, transition attacks, offensive rebounds, and random possessions, but that’s probably the exact environment Kuminga needs.
He looks much better when he can attack immediately instead of standing around and thinking too much.
Minnesota also needs another scorer. McDaniels was excellent last season, averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field and 41.2% from three. He also exploded for a playoff career-high 32 points and 10 rebounds in Game 6 against the Nuggets, helping the Wolves close the series with a 110-98 win.
That performance was massive, but McDaniels still isn’t someone Minnesota can ask to create offense every night. His best games usually happen when the ball finds him naturally, not because the Wolves give him 15 isolation possessions.
Kuminga would bring another type of scoring: attacking the rim, drawing fouls, punishing smaller defenders, and giving Edwards a break from creating every difficult shot. He isn’t a perfect creator, but at least he gives the defense something else to worry about.
He would also be more mobile than Randle, who is obviously more skilled and a much better passer, but he can slow down the offense when he holds the ball for several seconds before starting an isolation. Kuminga usually makes his decision faster. Sometimes that decision is wanky, but at least the ball keeps moving.
The Wolves would give him the freedom to attack without asking him to become a No. 1 option. Ball and Edwards would remain the stars. Kuminga could become the third scorer while focusing on transition offense, cuts, mismatches, and offensive rebounds. That role actually fits the player he is instead of the player he thinks he is.
Kuminga still has plenty of flaws. He isn’t a consistent shooter, his defense comes and goes, and he probably sees himself as a future star even though he hasn’t shown that level for more than a few games at a time.
There’s a reason he’s still available in August after being the No. 7 pick and receiving a $48.5 million contract less than a year ago.
The money is also a problem. Minnesota only has the $6.1 million taxpayer mid-level exception, so Kuminga would need to accept a huge discount, or the teams would need to construct a sign-and-trade, and the Timberwolves just lack the assets needed after their blockbuster.
Minnesota offers him a starting spot, regular touches, two elite creators, a fast offense, and enough defensive help that he wouldn’t need to guard the opponent’s best player every night. He wouldn’t be stuck waiting in the corner like he would with the Lakers. He also wouldn’t have the same spacing problems that could appear next to Mobley and Allen in Cleveland.
Both sides genuinely need each other in my opinion. The Wolves need a starting forward after moving Randle and Reid. Kuminga needs a team that can use his athleticism without asking him to become a shooter, lockdown defender, or primary creator overnight.
Minnesota would let him run, attack, finish at the rim, and play through all the chaos he clearly enjoys.
It still depends on the money, but from a basketball perspective, the Timberwolves are by far the best option.
