The Lakers spent free agency chasing Jonathan Kuminga, convinced their financial edge would help them land him. Once the Cavaliers moved on, Los Angeles looked to have the clearest lane, with the Timberwolves still hanging around as the main threat.
That pursuit ended with Kuminga choosing Minnesota instead.
“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,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
With Kuminga off the board, the Lakers now have to find another way to patch the power forward spot. Bruce Brown has emerged as a possible target, but Los Angeles would have to beat out the Miami Heat and Cavaliers to get him.
“The Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers have recently expressed free agent interest in Bruce Brown. Now one of the best available unrestricted free agents, the versatile guard could help complete a title-contending rotation,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
Brown would bring value to any of those teams. He’s the kind of steady veteran every contender wants in the mix. For the Lakers, though, the need feels especially sharp after missing on multiple free agents already.
There is also a familiar thread here: Brown was close to ending up in Los Angeles before.
“I was going to the Lakers after the championship. I was going to the Lakers," Brown said."
Free agency started, and they called me. Darvin Ham is the head coach.
And they wanted me to be the starting point guard. I got LeBron, I got AD, I got guys where they went to the Western Conference Finals.
I want to win again.”
The Heat have one roster spot open. The Cavaliers have some financial flexibility after waiving Cam Whitmore. The Lakers, meanwhile, may need to clear contracts before they can seriously make a run at Brown.
Brown has earned $63 million in his career and remains the kind of role player teams covet. For Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles, the next move may come down to which front office can sell the strongest fit.
In Other News...
Jonathan Kuminga Already Changes Minnesotas Frontcourt Picture
Jonathan Kumingas arrival already gives the Timberwolves frontcourt a different feel, and part of that comes from the certainty around his place in it. Agent Aaron Turner said Kuminga was brought in with a clearly defined starting role at power forward, a notable shift for a player who has spent his NBA career navigating a more fluid path into the lineup.
Turner said this is the first time in Kumingas six-year career that he has entered a season knowing he would start, with coach Chris Finch laying out a clear vision for how he would be used. For Minnesota, that kind of early clarity matters, especially in a frontcourt that is still taking shape and now has a new piece expected to step in immediately. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Just Made A Win Now Move Fans Will Feel Up Front
The Timberwolves pushed their chips in with a pair of moves that say plenty about where the franchise thinks it stands. Minnesota added LaMelo Ball in a trade and then brought in Jonathan Kuminga on a two-year contract with a player option, giving the roster another dynamic layer as it tries to chase the top of the Western Conference. To make the financial picture work, the team also sent Josh Green and cash to Utah for Cody Williams and John Konchar, a deal that created the flexibility needed to keep the bigger move moving forward.
Konchar did not stay on the roster for long after the trade, but the broader message was unmistakable: Minnesota is not treating this as a slow build. With Ball and Kuminga now in the mix, the Timberwolves are clearly setting themselves up for a serious run, and the front office has shown a willingness to reshuffle the depth chart in the service of that push. The only question now is how the new pieces fit once the games start to carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Are Chasing A West Leap With Familiar Rivals In The Way
The Western Conference picture is already crowded at the top, with the Spurs and Thunder drawing the loudest conference-finals buzz, but the real squeeze for Minnesota could come one tier down. The Rockets are being positioned as one of the teams most capable of pushing past the usual middle of the bracket, and that puts added pressure on a Wolves group trying to sort out its own offseason changes while keeping pace with Denver and the Lakers.
Minnesotas outlook is shaped by how quickly its new pieces settle in and how much stability the roster gets from its frontcourt mix. In that sense, Houston matters as much as any team in the West race because the Rockets are one of the clubs most likely to turn the seeding chase into a scrap, especially if their own key players are healthy and the fit comes together early. [Read more 🡒]