The Lakers went into free agency with a clear target in mind: Jonathan Kuminga. They wanted the 23-year-old NBA champion to step into the starting power forward role, and they stuck with that pursuit even as the picture around him kept shifting.
In the end, though, Kuminga chose a different path. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender,”
That outcome landed as something of a surprise around Los Angeles, especially after the Cleveland Cavaliers were no longer in the mix. As New York Post's Valentina Martinez wrote, “Jonathan Kuminga landing with the Los Angeles Lakers seems inevitable at this point. On Tuesday, it appeared Kuminga had three suitors remaining in his free-agent sweepstakes: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Lakers,"
Now the Lakers are left staring at the same issue that made Kuminga such a priority in the first place: the power forward spot still needs help. If they don’t lean on an internal answer, a trade could be the next move.
California Post’s Khobi Price pointed to Kyle Kuzma as one of the clearest options, writing, “ Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma, who was with the Lakers from 2017-21 and won the 2020 championship with the franchise, stand out as the best trade options. Kuzma ($20.5 million) are entering the final season of their respective four-year, $90 million deals. Trading for either would likely require the Lakers to send a combination of Hardy, Knecht or Jarred Vanderbilt, in addition to draft picks,”
For Los Angeles, Kuzma checks a lot of boxes. He’s the kind of dependable piece they can plug into that vacancy, and he already knows the organization well from his run with the team. He was part of the 2020 championship group in the bubble, which only adds to the appeal if the Lakers decide to go that route.
In Other News...
Lakers Lost Out On Jonathan Kuminga For A Reason Fans Will Notice
Jonathan Kumingas free-agency saga finally settled this week, with the former Warriors forward agreeing to a one-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves after weeks of back-and-forth that also drew in the Lakers and Chicago. For Los Angeles, the miss is a familiar kind of reminder that these decisions are rarely just about name recognition or cap space. Some players are looking first at fit, role and whether the organization feels aligned with what they want next.
Aaron Turner, Kumingas agent, said his client put the playing situation and organizational alignment ahead of contract length and money, which helps explain why the process unfolded the way it did. It also sheds light on why the Lakers were never quite enough on their own, even with their usual pull in these conversations. The larger surprise may be what happened before all of this, with Golden State never making a real push to keep Kuminga before moving on from him. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Suddenly Have A Finals Case Fans Can Actually Believe
Fred VanVleets return has given Houston something it did not always have last season, a steadier hand in the middle of the chaos. The combination of his playmaking and leadership has people around the game taking the Rockets a lot more seriously, especially with Kevin Durant and Marcus Smart now part of a roster that suddenly looks deeper and more battle-tested than the one that finished last year.
Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter both pointed to that mix as the reason Houston can credibly talk about a title run, and the Western Conference is going to force the issue quickly. The bigger question is no longer whether the Rockets have talent, but whether the pieces fit well enough to turn that talent into a team that can survive the grind of a playoff spring. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Missed On Jonathan Kuminga For A Reason Fans Will Debate
Jonathan Kumingas next stop came together with a little less drama than many around the league expected, even with the Lakers looming as a possible landing spot. Instead, the forward agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Timberwolves, a contract that includes a player option, according to his agent Aaron Turner. For a player whose market had been watched closely, the choice says plenty about how he is trying to map out his career at this stage.
Minnesota clearly sold him on opportunity, and Kuminga reportedly believed it was the best basketball situation for him. The Timberwolves are planning to start him alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, which gives him a chance to fit into a lineup with real talent around him right away. For teams like the Lakers, it is another reminder that name value does not always win out when a player is weighing role, fit and the path he sees in front of him. [Read more 🡒]