Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency has settled into an uneasy stalemate, and on August 5th there still wasn’t a clean path to a resolution. The latest twist is not a fresh update so much as the same problem hanging over the whole situation: the teams linked to Kuminga don’t have the room to meet the salary he wants, and he hasn’t backed off his ask.
Atlanta remains in the conversation, but a return there is far from simple. A reunion hasn’t been ruled out, yet the Hawks are already dealing with a roster crunch, and adding Kuminga would only tighten things further.
Even if he landed back in Atlanta, the fit wouldn’t mirror the kind of opportunity he could find elsewhere. He would not be stepping into the kind of starting role he might have with teams like the Lakers, Cavaliers, Bucks, or even Minnesota, where he might actually start.
That leaves the whole market stuck in limbo. Unless a team opens up cap space, Atlanta agrees to a sign-and-trade, or Kuminga lowers his price, this saga could keep dragging on.
That kind of deadlock is exactly what keeps the door cracked for a surprise suitor, but the reality around the league makes that difficult. Sixteen of the NBA’s 30 teams are already over the regular-season roster limit, and among the ones that are not, most still can’t create the space needed for the contract Kuminga is seeking.
There are teams with open roster spots, but nearly all of them can be crossed off unless Kuminga suddenly changes course and accepts a major pay cut. Financially, the numbers just don’t line up. And for any sign-and-trade route, Atlanta would have to be willing to go along with it.
Sacramento is the one team on that list that has been connected to Kuminga before, but even there, the same obstacle applies: it would require a sign-and-trade.
Minnesota is the most plausible dark-horse option. Last week, Michael Scotto at HoopsHype reported that the Timberwolves have shown interest, writing:
"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."
The appeal for Minnesota, and also for the Lakers, is straightforward: a real role and a path to starting. Atlanta doesn’t offer that same lane, and Cleveland may not either, though there is a case for Kuminga as the starting small forward there. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is in a rebuild and could give him more on-ball chances and a heavier workload to show what he can do.
So the possibilities are still out there, but the picture remains cloudy. Until Kuminga settles on what he wants financially and what he wants from his next team, the whole thing stays frozen.
Never say never in the NBA, but don't expect a darkhorse team to emerge for Kuminga and sign him or acquire him via sign-and-trade from Atlanta.
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