Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency has already turned into a messy sign-and-trade puzzle, and now the Hawks and Lakers may need help from a third team just to get the mechanics to work.
The Lakers have long been viewed as a leading candidate for the 23-year-old forward, and Atlanta has been willing to deal with Los Angeles. But the talks have run into Kuminga’s contract demands, and that alone has slowed everything down. Now there’s another issue sitting on top of it.
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, Atlanta’s roster situation could force the teams to reroute the Lakers’ outgoing salaries before any Kuminga deal can be finalized.
“The Hawks have their own concerns with a full roster nearing the luxury tax threshold, a line the franchise historically refuses to cross. Atlanta may be open to sending Kuminga for a first-round pick swap, but the Lakers’ outgoing players need to go elsewhere.”
That matters because Atlanta is already carrying a payroll of $197.1 million. The Hawks are still below the second apron, but they’re only $3.9 million under the tax line and $11.9 million beneath the first apron. Taking on Jarred Vanderbilt’s $12.4 million salary would shove them into luxury tax territory, which makes a straight swap much harder to pull off.
So the path forward may require a third team willing to absorb the Lakers’ salaries.
The Chicago Bulls are one obvious candidate. They’re sitting at a $164.3 million payroll with no pending signings, which gives them the kind of cap room that could make this kind of deal possible.
Chicago could take on Vanderbilt’s contract and even Dalton Knecht’s $4.2 million deal if needed. The question is whether the Bulls would want to get involved at all, especially with their reported interest in acquiring Bennedict Mathurin from the Clippers.
Charlotte is another possible landing spot for the money. The Hornets are at $176.2 million in payroll, which leaves them about $14.8 million below the tax, and they also have a $40.7 million trade exception from the LaMelo Ball trade.
That gives them the flexibility to help absorb salary. Still, there’s a complication: the Lakers’ decision to rescind the Mark Williams trade last year could make Charlotte less eager to do business with them.
Brooklyn also has the space to play this role. The Nets are at $161.4 million in payroll, and their rebuilding status could make them open to taking on money if draft capital is part of the return.
The sticking point there is what kind of players they’d accept. If the package is built around Vanderbilt alone, Brooklyn may not bite.
But if expiring contracts like Jake LaRavia or young players like Jaden Hardy are included, the Nets could have more reason to jump in.
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