The Cleveland Cavaliers are still in the mix for Jonathan Kuminga, and that alone keeps a few doors open as the offseason unfolds.
Anthony Slater of ESPN reported that Cleveland continues to show interest in the small forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined his 2026-27 team option. Kuminga also has a built-in comfort level with Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who coached him during his first three NBA seasons while serving as a lead assistant with the Golden State Warriors.
Kuminga, 23, split last season between the Warriors and Hawks and played in 36 games. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting 46.3% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and 72.4% from the free-throw line.
His playoff run with Atlanta was short but productive. The Hawks fell to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in six games, and Kuminga put up 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in that series.
Over his career, Kuminga has averaged 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the regular season and 8.0 points per game in the playoffs. He also has a championship on his résumé, winning the 2022 title with the Warriors against the Boston Celtics.
Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the first time since 2018, but the Knicks swept the Cavaliers before going on to beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
The Cavs are also trying to land franchise legend LeBron James, who will not return to the Los Angeles Lakers. Slater also reported that the Lakers are heavily pursuing Kuminga.
Donovan Mitchell has already agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension with Cleveland. And if LeBron ends up back in Ohio, the Cavaliers would be looking at a starting lineup of James Harden, Mitchell, LeBron, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen next season. Harden is expected to re-sign with Cleveland after LeBron chooses his next team.
So the Cavaliers have more than one major swing in play. Kuminga remains one of them, and the fit is obvious enough to keep the conversation going.
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