The Lakers’ offseason just got a little more open-ended, and Jonathan Kuminga is right back in the middle of it.
For weeks, Los Angeles has been linked to the young wing while the rest of the league mostly settled into the quieter part of the summer. That changed when the Cleveland Cavaliers backed out of the Kuminga picture by completing a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson in a five-team deal. The move pulled one of the bigger threats to the Lakers out of the race and left Kuminga’s market looking a lot less crowded.
The Watson deal was no small thing. Denver sent him out as a restricted free agent, and the trade wound through the Clippers, Hornets and Wizards as well.
Max Strus, Dennis Schroder, Cam Whitmore, Ismael Kamagate, Julian Reese and Tre Mann all changed teams in the shuffle. Before that, Cleveland had been among the clubs reportedly interested in Kuminga, making this a meaningful development for Los Angeles.
That matters because the Lakers still have work to do before the 2026-27 season, even with all the noise around ownership and the Buss family situation. The franchise is dealing with a major shakeup after Mark Walter agreed to sell the team after only 14 months, and Jeanie Buss is still trying to remain the team’s governor through a messy process. But roster business doesn’t stop for drama, and the Lakers still need to sort out who fits around Luka Doncic.
At the moment, the starting lineup is far from settled. Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler are the only clear locks to open the season in JJ Redick’s first five.
Quentin Grimes and Sandro Mamukelashvili are the names that make the most sense for the other two spots right now, but Kuminga would obviously change that picture. If Los Angeles lands him, he’d almost certainly start and become a major part of the rotation going forward.
That’s why this opening feels so important. Kuminga brings exactly the kind of traits that can make a Lakers front office sit up: size, energy, scoring punch and the kind of lob threat that plays beautifully next to Doncic.
He’d also give the team another body who could help on the defensive end. He is still a work in progress, especially when it comes to outside shooting, but the upside is obvious if the fit clicks.
Rob Pelinka and the front office are surely working the phones. And while Kuminga is the name drawing the most attention, he may not be the only possible prize left on the board.
Denver’s decision to move Watson also raises the possibility that other pieces could become available, and one name to watch is Cam Johnson. At 30, he’s older than Kuminga, who is 23, but he fits the mold of the 3-and-D wing Los Angeles has been chasing this summer.
The catch, of course, is that Denver would have to be willing to move Johnson, and that has not been the case so far. Still, the Watson trade at least makes that possibility more interesting, especially since the Nuggets only got draft capital back.
There’s also the wrinkle of timing. Doncic and the Lakers are already in Slovenia for the team’s minicamp, which makes any deal a little awkward. Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James have all been floated in trade rumors over the past month, and all three are in Slovenia as well.
Even with that complication, the Lakers probably can’t afford to sit on their hands if the right deal is there. Whether it ends up being Kuminga or Johnson, Los Angeles has a chance to make a real move, and the next step in this offseason could come sooner than expected.
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Lakers Still Have One Big Roster Question Behind Luka Doncic
The Lakers have already made some notable offseason additions, bringing in Walker Kessler and signing Kevon Looney, but the front office still appears to be working through one of the clearest roster questions left on the board. With Luka Doncic anchoring the conversation around the teams future, the search for more frontcourt size has become part of the bigger roster picture, and league chatter suggests Los Angeles is still checking on available big men.
For now, the focus is on options rather than final answers. The Lakers are being linked to the market for another center, whether that comes through a trade or a signing, and the name to watch has been a familiar one in recent speculation. Until the team makes a move, though, the position remains one of the few spots where the roster still feels unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Luka Doncic Made One Opponent Regret Chirping At Him
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Buzelis said the experience showed how hard it is to keep talking while also backing it up on the floor, even against a player as polished as Doncic. He did not sound interested in changing his approach, though, making clear that his assertive style is part of who he is, which suggests this kind of back-and-forth could come up again the next time he shares a court with one of the leagues toughest competitors. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Got A Better Shot At Jonathan Kuminga
Jonathan Kumingas free agency picture tightened again after the five-team deal that sent Peyton Watson from Denver to Cleveland. The move matters beyond the immediate trade pieces because it reshapes the market around one of the summers more watched young forwards, and it gives the Lakers a clearer sense of who they are really bidding against as the negotiations drag on.
For Los Angeles, the opening is simple enough: fewer teams in the mix can only help as the front office weighs salary-cap math and trade assets against the kind of upside Kuminga brings. The chase is still unsettled, and the Lakers know they are not alone in it, but the landscape around the former first-rounder looks a little more favorable than it did before the Nuggets trade set off the latest round of movement. [Read more 🡒]