The Lakers’ push to bring in Jonathan Kuminga has run into a mess of roster math, contract hurdles and teams that won’t budge.
Los Angeles has spent the summer reworking its roster and stepping into a new chapter, one that will begin without LeBron James for the first time in nearly a decade. In the middle of that overhaul, the Lakers have kept searching for a power forward, and Kuminga has been on their radar since June.
“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.
But interest has not translated into progress. The Lakers have already put a deal on the table, yet the path to finishing it keeps getting blocked. At one point, Kuminga rejected a deal, and in another wrinkle, the Atlanta Hawks turned down a possible sign-and-trade package.
“The Lakers have offered Jonathan Kuminga a contract via sign-and-trade that would pay him around $45 million. Los Angeles is willing to send Jarred Vanderbilt alongside draft capital to the Hawks for Kuminga, who must sign at least a three-year deal in sign-and-trade agreements," Sidery wrote.
The bigger issue is that Los Angeles still has to clear room before anything can happen. That means moving Jarred Vanderbilt, and so far no team has been willing to absorb his contract. Without that, the Lakers can’t complete the deal.
“The Lakers have been unsuccessful in finding a facilitator to take on Jarred Vanderbilt’s contract, which would help Jonathan Kuminga join via sign-and-trade. The Hawks are over the roster limit, plus teams are requiring LA to relinquish their remaining valuable draft capital,” Sidery posted.
That leaves the Lakers stuck in a holding pattern. Kuminga may still be the cleanest fit for what they want, but unless they can create a roster opening and find a team willing to help, the sign-and-trade cannot go through.
The whole process has now dragged on for two months, and there’s no sign it’s ending soon. With both Los Angeles and Atlanta dealing with roster-limit complications, the deal has only become harder to untangle.
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