The Lakers’ search for wing help has taken on a new wrinkle, and it comes down to a simple question: keep grinding through the Jonathan Kuminga mess, or pivot to Cam Whitmore if he actually hits the market?
Los Angeles has already spent the offseason reshaping the roster, with departures including LeBron James and Rui Hachimura opening the door for a new look. By most accounts, the retooling has helped.
The Lakers have addressed several issues that hurt them last season, and the group now looks more balanced. Even so, reports say the front office is still hunting upgrades, with wing depth at the top of the list.
That search has already tied the Lakers to names like Peyton Watson and P.J. Washington. Kuminga has been the most persistent target, but the latest movement around the league may have created a different lane.
In the last two days, the biggest development came in a five-team trade that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Whitmore was also part of the deal, landing with Cleveland from the Washington Wizards. But because the Cavaliers needed to clear cap space before signing James Harden, Whitmore was likely to be waived, which would put him on the free-agent market.
That possibility makes Whitmore a real alternative to Kuminga.
Whitmore is listed at 6’6″ and 230 lbs, a little smaller than Kuminga at 6’7″ but built with a stronger frame. The production last season favored Kuminga, who posted 12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 0.6 SPG, compared with Whitmore’s 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game.
Kuminga is also the better perimeter shooter on paper, but Whitmore is described as the more polished offensive threat, and he played fewer minutes. That leaves room for the argument that he could be even more effective with a bigger role.
The upside conversation is harder to separate. Both players are roughly the same age, though Kuminga carries more star power. That same star power has also made talks with the 23-year-old more difficult, which is part of why Whitmore could start to look more appealing to the Lakers.
There’s also the practical side. Reports say the Lakers’ talks with Kuminga have stalled because of contract demands. A sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks appears to be the only path forward, but both teams are stuck because Atlanta’s roster and cap situation mean a third team would have to be involved to make the deal work.
That kind of setup is a headache, and it may not lead anywhere.
So the idea of moving toward Whitmore and free agency has some appeal. But it isn’t simple either.
The Lakers currently have 16 guaranteed contracts and all three two-way spots filled, which means someone would have to be cut before the season starts. On top of that, the first apron is hovering over everything.
Los Angeles is sitting at $207.2 million in payroll, about $1.8 million below the first apron. Whitmore has three years of NBA experience, which makes him eligible for a veteran minimum deal worth $2.3 million. That leaves the Lakers about $500,000 short, enough to trigger a tax penalty if they signed him without shedding salary elsewhere.
So while Whitmore looks like a sensible target if the Lakers can clear two roster spots and create some cap room, the more realistic path still appears to be Kuminga. The current read is that any sign-and-trade would involve Jarred Vanderbilt and draft capital, with a third team taking on Vanderbilt’s cap hit. That would solve two issues at once: it would open a roster spot and create the needed breathing room under the apron.
The Watson trade may have made Kuminga harder to pry loose, but it also reduced his leverage. That could help the Lakers land him on a low-cost deal, even if it’s not the outcome he wants.
In the end, Whitmore may fit the wing role the Lakers have in mind a little cleaner. But with his reputation as a subpar defender, Los Angeles may still prefer Kuminga’s star potential and the kind of lift it could give the roster.
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