The Lakers’ path to Jonathan Kuminga just got a lot messier.
The Thunder’s trade of Lu Dort to the Hawks has thrown a wrench into Los Angeles’ plans, because the Lakers no longer have an open roster spot. That means a straight free-agency offer for Kuminga is off the table unless the front office clears space by waiving a player.
The bigger problem is what happened on the Hawks’ side. Atlanta now has 17 players on standard contracts and still needs to trim two more before the season begins.
With Dort in the mix as a wing, the Hawks are no longer expected to be interested in the originally proposed sign-and-trade that would have sent Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2032 pick swap to Atlanta for Kuminga. Unless the Lakers find a third team willing to absorb Vanderbilt’s contract, that sign-and-trade route is effectively done.
That matters because Atlanta had initially declined the $24.4 million team option on Kuminga with the idea of helping work out a sign-and-trade to wherever he wanted to land in free agency. The Hawks were still seen as a possible landing spot, and the Cavaliers and Bucks were also in the mix.
Now the picture is tighter. If Atlanta can’t sign him directly, and if the Cavaliers end up landing LeBron James this summer, then the Lakers and Bucks look like the two realistic choices left. The Bucks, though, have just traded Giannis Antetokounmpo and are now rebuilding around Herro, which could leave them far from winning basketball.
On paper, that would make the Lakers the cleanest fit for Kuminga if LeBron James goes to Cleveland. But Los Angeles would still need to either take a major haircut on his expected salary or line up a third team to move Vanderbilt’s deal.
There’s also a chance the Lakers simply pivot away from Kuminga altogether. In that scenario, Kuminga’s best-case path would depend on LeBron James not ending up with the Cavaliers, since Cleveland would reportedly turn to him if that happens.
If Kuminga doesn’t happen, Jake Weinbach reported that the Lakers are expected to show interest in P.J. Washington.
Marc Stein has previously said the Lakers view Washington’s contract as an albatross, though that may not stop them if they decide they need a real power forward. Washington could become the fallback if Doncic pushes for a stronger option than Jake LaRavia or Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The Lakers’ reported pitch to Kuminga was that he would come in as an immediate starter, which says plenty about how they view their current frontcourt situation. There’s still uncertainty about who would replace LeBron James in the starting lineup, and Bruce Brown has also been mentioned as a possible option there if Kuminga doesn’t come through.
For now, Dort’s move to Atlanta has made an already tricky Lakers pursuit even harder, and it has left Los Angeles searching for a way to solve its power forward problem.
In Other News...
Lakers May Be Watching Another Ideal Wing Slip Away
Peyton Watsons rise in Denver this past season has put him squarely on the radar of teams looking for a long, switchable wing, and the Lakers are among the clubs that have taken notice. The appeal is obvious from their side: Watson fits the kind of two-way mold that tends to matter in the West, and as a restricted free agent he is the sort of player who can quickly become expensive to pry loose.
The problem is the path to getting him looks murky. Los Angeles does not have the draft capital to satisfy Denvers asking price in a sign-and-trade, and its recent move for Walker Kessler has only tightened the margins on any bigger swing. With limited trade flexibility and other teams, including Atlanta, also circling, the Lakers may end up watching another ideal wing get out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors May Have To Sacrifice More Than Expected For Bronny
LeBron James free agency decision is still hanging over the league, and the Warriors are reportedly one of the teams watching closely. If Golden State makes a real run at him, the ripple effect could reach the Lakers in a different way, because any move involving LeBron would naturally revive the conversation around Bronny James and whether Los Angeles would even consider dealing him.
The price on Bronny is still very much a moving target, but the Lakers are not expected to treat him like a throw-in if the situation gets serious. A trade built around a second-round pick and a roster-fitting player has been floated as the kind of framework that could get attention, though the asking price could shift if the whole thing becomes tied to LeBrons next stop. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Just Let Another Crucial Defensive Answer Slip Away
The Lakers spent part of the offseason searching for more defensive bite, and Lu Dort looked like the kind of answer that could have changed the tone of the roster. His physical perimeter defense and ability to take on difficult assignments made him a natural fit for a team that has too often needed someone to absorb the toughest wing matchups. Los Angeles also had enough draft capital to stay in the conversation, which made the decision not to push harder feel like more than just a missed opportunity.
Instead, the Lakers went in another direction, adding Walker Kessler and signing Sandro Mamukelashvili while the Dort path disappeared from view. The larger issue is not simply one player leaving the board, but how many of these choices have stacked up for a team still trying to build a defense it can trust when the games tighten. [Read more 🡒]