The Timberwolves are swinging for upside again, and Jonathan Kuminga is right at the center of it.
Minnesota’s two-year, $12.4 million commitment to Kuminga looks like the kind of move that can quietly reshape a roster if it clicks. Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports called it a “low-cost, potentially high-impact move,” and that’s the appeal here: the price is manageable, but the payoff could be meaningful if the fit works.
There’s a clear opening for him, too. The Timberwolves moved Julius Randle and Naz Reid this offseason, which created room at power forward. Kuminga gives them more defensive versatility in that spot and another explosive athlete who can finish around the rim alongside Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball.
The offense is where things get more interesting. With Edwards and Ball on the floor, Kuminga should have chances to do damage as a cutter and off the ball.
When one of those two is sitting, Minnesota can lean on him more as a creator. Kuminga has already said he thinks he can grow into an All-Star, though the Wolves don’t need him to hit that ceiling to make this worthwhile.
If he gives them something close to that for about $6 million this season, they’ll take it in a heartbeat.
Elsewhere, Bennedict Mathurin’s path to New Orleans is now clear.
The Clippers have withdrawn Mathurin’s $8.8 million qualifying offer, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith, which makes the 24-year-old an unrestricted free agent. That move clears the way for him to finalize the two-year, $16 million deal he had already agreed to with the Pelicans, a contract that includes a player option.
Mathurin put up 17.4 points per game in 26 games for Los Angeles after coming over from Indiana in the Ivica Zubac trade. His perimeter shot dipped hard with the Clippers - he made just 20.7 percent of his 3s - but he still produced.
New Orleans is about to have a crowded backcourt once Mathurin signs, with Dejounte Murray, Jordan Poole and Jeremiah Fears already in the mix. The Pelicans will also be up to 16 players on standard contracts, so a corresponding move looks likely. Jordan Hawkins has reportedly been shopped and remains a candidate to be waived and stretched.
So this may not be the last roster move tied to Mathurin’s exit.
And then there’s Jabari Parker, who has quietly reached another crossroads.
Parker is 31 now, hasn’t played in the NBA since 2021-22, and apparently is no longer in Partizan’s plans either. Coach Joan Penarroya said the club is moving ahead without him even though Parker is still under contract.
“What I can explain is that we are building a team without Parker for the next season,” Penarroya said, via Eurohoops. “That is completely clear.”
He added that he respects Parker and described him as “a good guy,” but the message about the basketball side was unmistakable.
“We are building a team without him.”
What comes next for Parker is still unclear, but whenever a former No. 2 overall pick becomes available overseas, it’s the kind of name worth watching.
In Other News...
Clippers Still Have One Draft Decision Hanging Over Their Roster
As the calendar turns deeper into late August, the Clippers still have some draft housekeeping left to sort out, even as most of the leagues 2026 selections have already found their footing. Across the NBA, six players from that class remain unsigned, a group shaped by everything from injuries to roster limits to whether a prospect plans to stay overseas or head back to college, and the market for those decisions has grown more orderly since the end of July.
For the Clippers, the lingering question sits in the same broad space teams have been using all summer to manage young players: two-way deals, G League paths, or a draft-and-stash setup that keeps future flexibility intact. That leaves one final roster decision hanging in the background for Los Angeles, with the club still weighing how to handle its unsigned pick as other teams continue to close out their own draft business. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Just Made A Bennedict Mathurin Move Fans Need To See
The Clippers latest roster maneuver around Bennedict Mathurin closes the book on a situation that had been hanging out there as the offseason moved along. By pulling back the qualifying offer, Los Angeles cleared the path for Mathurin to hit unrestricted free agency, ending any lingering tie between the sides and adding another wrinkle to a summer that has already kept the teams depth chart under a microscope.
From there, the next step came quickly for Mathurin, who has already lined up a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans still has to clear one more roster spot before the season begins, so the signing is not quite a finished puzzle yet, but the move signals a fresh landing spot for a player the Clippers no longer had in their plans. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Still Face Two Tough Roster Decisions Before Opening Night
The Clippers have already cleared one bit of offseason housekeeping by withdrawing Bennedict Mathurins qualifying offer, which opened the door for him to land with the New Orleans Pelicans. But the more immediate issue in Los Angeles is what the roster will look like once the dust settles, because the team is still juggling a crowded group of standard contracts as opening night gets closer.
A completed Kawhi Leonard trade with Toronto could push the Clippers to 17 players, leaving them in need of two cuts before the regular season begins. That puts a handful of names in the conversation, including Cam Christie, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez, Gradey Dick, Isaiah Jackson and Johni Broome, with the front office still sorting through the final call. [Read more 🡒]