Jonathan Kuminga has put the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers in a tough spot, and the price tag is clear: more than $20 million a year.
That’s the contract demand the former Warriors champion is reportedly making as the two teams emerge as the finalists for his services. And for the Lakers, the timing makes this even trickier. They’ve been chasing ways to replace the production they knew they’d lose once LeBron James was no longer coming back, but getting Kuminga in the door is not as simple as handing him a deal.
“There is mutual free agent interest between Jonathan Kuminga and the Lakers, per Jovan Buha. Los Angeles continues to work behind the scenes to secure Kuminga’s commitment as their new wing addition,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
The problem is the money. Los Angeles would still need to move contracts around to create the flexibility required to sign him, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said the Lakers may have already let a sign-and-trade opportunity slip away.
“The Lakers could have done a sign-and-trade for Kuminga two weeks ago, when the Lakers traded Deandre Ayton to the Wizards, there was a window where the Hawks could have gotten in on the trade… what they (Lakers) could have payed him, would have been less than the mid level,” Windhorst said.
With James officially signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland has moved into the picture as a real threat to land Kuminga. That’s a dangerous development for the Lakers, especially with Kuminga’s asking price sitting above $20 million annually.
“Jonathan Kuminga is demanding a salary in free agency exceeding $20 million annually, per The Athletic. Kuminga prefers a sign-and-trade from the Hawks over leaving outright, simply due to the added financial implications. The Cavaliers and Lakers are the finalists for Kuminga,” Sidery posted.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory for Kuminga. He went through drawn-out contract talks with the Golden State Warriors just last summer, and now he’s back in the same kind of waiting game - only this time with two teams that both see him as a major fit.
At this point, the path forward looks pretty straightforward. Either one of the teams, most likely Cleveland, gets to Kuminga’s number, or both sides keep waiting and force him to decide whether to go back to Atlanta or take less than what he wants.
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