As this summer’s free agency clock ticks toward zero, it’s getting harder to shake the feeling that Jonathan Kuminga is headed for Hollywood and a purple-and-gold jersey. The market has cooled just enough, the leverage game has shifted just enough, and the Lakers’ need for his exact skill set is loud enough that you can almost see him sliding into a starting forward spot in Los Angeles sometime in the next few weeks.
Kuminga’s journey to this point has been anything but straightforward. After signing a two-year deal with Golden State last fall that included a hefty team option for 2026–27, his relationship with the Warriors frayed as his role fluctuated and his minutes didn’t match his confidence in his own game.
He eventually demanded a trade, and Golden State moved him to Atlanta at the deadline, where the Hawks inherited that same $24.3 million club option for next season. Rather than lock into that number, Atlanta declined the option in late June, instantly turning the 23‑year‑old into an unrestricted free agent and opening the door to a whole new round of suitors.
On paper, there are plenty of teams that could talk themselves into a 6‑foot‑7 wing who’s still scratching the surface of his potential. The Kings were already enamored with him before he ever landed in Atlanta and are expected to stay in the mix now that he’s on the open market.
Cleveland has maintained steady contact with Kuminga and his agent and is seen as one of the primary alternatives to the Lakers, especially if they can structure a sign‑and‑trade that pays him closer to what he wants without wrecking their books. You can also find reports linking Milwaukee, Chicago, and of course a possible Hawks reunion if the numbers line up.
But every time his name surfaces, the Lakers seem to follow right behind. Multiple reports have said Rob Pelinka keeps calling Kuminga, to make his pitch that the young forward could walk into a starting role in Los Angeles. The Lakers have already put a concrete offer on the table — a two‑year deal worth around $20 million total — and while Kuminga has turned that down, it’s telling that L.A. hasn’t backed away. Even as talk of elaborate sign‑and‑trade scenarios with Atlanta has cooled and insiders insist those conversations never got truly serious, the interest on the Lakers’ side hasn’t disappeared.
The tug‑of‑war here is about money, years, and how much risk each side is willing to stomach. Kuminga went into free agency hoping for something in the neighborhood of what that declined option would have paid — roughly in the low‑to‑mid $20 million range annually — and league chatter has him aiming for at least $20 million per year over a multi‑year deal.
The reality of the market has been sobering. Cleveland can’t offer that number outright without sacrificing flexibility for other moves, and the Lakers are constrained enough that their proposal so far has been closer to prove‑it territory. Any path to a bigger payday likely requires a sign‑and‑trade with Atlanta, and those frameworks have to clear tax concerns, long‑term commitments, and the Hawks’ own desire not to clog future cap sheets with unwanted contracts.
Where the Lakers gain ground is in everything that isn’t on a cap sheet. Kuminga is 23, coming off a year where he averaged around 12 points and 5–6 boards in modest minutes, and he still profiles as the kind of two‑way, downhill forward every contender covets.
In L.A., Pelinka and the coaching staff have reportedly laid out a vision revolving around heavy minutes, a starting role, and the chance to play off stars while still getting room to grow his own game. For a player who’s already lived through a restricted free agency stalemate and a midseason trade, the stability of a defined role on one of the league’s marquee franchises is a different sort of currency — and one the Lakers are uniquely positioned to offer.
You can also read the market tea leaves in a way that favors Los Angeles. The Cavs are interested, but their room to maneuver is narrow, and any big swing for Kuminga cuts directly into what they can pay other key pieces.
Sacramento has been lurking for over a year, yet the momentum never quite seems to crest into a done‑deal trajectory, in part because their flexibility depends on complex sign‑and‑trade math as well. Meanwhile, every report out of Los Angeles keeps circling back to the same point, they’d like Kuminga as their starting small forward, and if his market softens a bit more, he becomes the kind of last big move that can reshape their wing rotation without requiring a blockbuster.
Here’s the thing, folks: The timing of all this matters. The longer Kuminga sits without the massive offer he initially hoped for, the more appealing a shorter, slightly below‑target deal in a huge market looks — especially if it comes with an immediate starting job and national‑TV exposure every week. He’s already reportedly reluctant to lock himself into a long, low‑money contract that might devalue him down the line, so a compromise like a two‑ or three‑year structure with a strong role could be the middle ground he eventually chooses. If that scenario plays out, the Lakers are the team that checks the most boxes: fit, opportunity, stage, and a front office that has made him a priority all summer.
With that . . . The story around Kuminga feels less like a mystery and more like a slow negotiation dance toward an outcome which has been hinted at for a month. He takes a bit less now, bets big on himself, and does it in Los Angeles. The money tug‑of‑war may drag on, the sign‑and‑trade frameworks may come and go, and other teams will keep circling, but the most logical landing spot — and the one that’s been most persistent — is the Lakers, with Kuminga stepping into a starting role under the bright lights at Crypto.com Arena.
If you cannot play with them, then root for them!