Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency has picked up another layer, and this time the Minnesota Timberwolves have entered the picture.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Minnesota has joined the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers as a team showing interest in the unrestricted free agent. Scotto wrote, “After missing out on their pursuit of LeBron James, the Minnesota Timberwolves have also expressed interest in Kuminga with their starting power forward spot up for grabs and their $6.06 million taxpayer mid-level exception available for the taking, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto wrote.
The fit is easy enough to see. Minnesota moved Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets, leaving a clear opening for another forward who can bring athleticism and versatility on both ends. Kuminga checks those boxes, and he would make sense next to Anthony Edwards as the Timberwolves keep reshaping the roster around their franchise centerpiece.
But interest and practicality are two different things.
Minnesota is operating just below the second apron, which means a deal for Kuminga would almost certainly require Atlanta’s cooperation in a sign-and-trade. That adds another layer to an already crowded chase, with the Timberwolves now trying to compete with the Lakers and Cavaliers while also presenting a package the Hawks would actually want.
That’s where the problem starts to show. Minnesota has already pushed a lot of draft capital into reshaping the roster this offseason, including an unprotected first-round pick, three first-round pick swaps and three second-round pick swaps in its trade for LaMelo Ball. That leaves the Timberwolves with far less ammunition for another major swing.
President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh has also made it clear this offseason that Minnesota is not going to move just to get something done. That matters here, because Atlanta still has the option of keeping Kuminga.
If the Hawks do decide to move him, they’ll want real value back. The Timberwolves may struggle to match that ask, especially when compared with the Lakers and Cavaliers, who could potentially put together more attractive combinations of young players and future assets.
Minnesota could try to get creative with a multi-team structure, but that only makes the whole thing messier. More teams means more moving parts, more salary matching, and more groups that need to walk away feeling like they got something worthwhile. Atlanta would still have to believe the final return helps it now or down the line.
The Lakers remain the team to watch on the aggressive end of this chase. They’ve stayed linked to Kuminga throughout the process and are still working to find a deal that fits.
The biggest issue there hasn’t changed. Senior NBA insider Jake L.
Fischer previously reported that the Hawks have no interest in taking back Jarred Vanderbilt’s contract, which has complicated talks between Los Angeles and Atlanta. The Lakers may need to change their offer or bring in another team before the Hawks become more open.
Los Angeles also has more appealing young talent and draft capital than Minnesota seems able to offer. Their reported 2032 first-round pick swap remains part of the conversation, but Atlanta is under no obligation to take back salary it doesn’t want just to get a future asset.
Cleveland is still in the mix too, and the Cavaliers may have enough draft capital to make a strong bid. The issue there, based on reports, is that they have been reluctant to include meaningful draft compensation, which could keep them from gaining traction.
So yes, Minnesota’s entry makes the market more crowded. It does not, though, change the balance of power. Atlanta still holds Kuminga’s bird rights, still controls the sign-and-trade leverage, and still has every reason to wait for a return that makes sense.
With training camp getting closer, the pressure is only going to build. Kuminga could end up with the Lakers, Cavaliers or Timberwolves, or he could wind up back in Atlanta. For now, though, the Hawks are the ones steering one of the offseason’s longest-running stories.
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Hawks Hold The Key In Jonathan Kuminga Trade Drama
Jonathan Kumingas trade market has been moving for a while, and the Hawks still sit in a pivotal spot as the Lakers work through a sign-and-trade path to get him. Clevelands attention on other players has only added another layer to the pursuit, potentially clearing more space for Los Angeles to push ahead, while the overall talks have reportedly continued to gain momentum. From Atlantas side, this is one of those situations where the framework matters just as much as the player name attached to it.
The key wrinkle is still approval, and that leaves the Hawks with real influence over how this whole thing looks when it finally comes together. There is optimism a deal could come soon, but until Atlanta signs off, the structure remains the hinge point for a transaction that has already drawn in multiple teams and could reshape the market around Kuminga. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Could See A Jonathan Kuminga Decision Very Differently
A hypothetical Jonathan Kuminga move has been framed as the kind of deal that could look very different from Atlantas side than it does on paper for Minnesota. The pitch centers on the Hawks weighing a younger, high-upside piece against the kind of roster balance and cap flexibility that often shapes offseason decisions, with the broader conversation focused on how each team would try to fit its next move into a longer-term plan.
For Atlanta, the appeal would not just be about adding help in the present, but about deciding whether a swing on Kuminga matches the way the roster is being built. The unanswered question is how the Hawks would value the return package against that upside, and whether a transaction built around player fit and future assets would be enough to make them take a different view of the same opportunity. [Read more 🡒]