The Lakers went into free agency with a plan for their starting power forward spot, and for a while it looked like Jonathan Kuminga might be the answer. Los Angeles showed real interest, and the feeling was mutual from the start.
“There is mutual free agent interest between Jonathan Kuminga and the Lakers, per Jovan Buha. Los Angeles continues to work behind the scenes to secure Kuminga’s commitment as their new wing addition,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
But Kuminga took a different path, one that caught plenty of people around the league off guard. The 23-year-old NBA champion agreed to join the Timberwolves, where he’s expected to start for a team that already has serious talent around him.
“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 Charani wrote.
Now the Lakers are back to sorting through what comes next, and according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt remain names to watch in trade talks.
“I do think that the Lakers are still going to be looking at potentially trading Dalton [Knecht], Jarred Vanderbilt,” Fischer said. “I think there’s plenty of time here before they have to make a decision.
They do, I believe, still want to make some type of trade upgrade at the wing/forward spot after missing out on Jonathan Kuminga. I do think that the Lakers are incomplete right now moving forward.”
Los Angeles has been exploring a move involving both players since early in the summer, but Vanderbilt has been a tougher sell for other teams. Knecht, meanwhile, still has appeal because of his age and his shooting.
Together, Knecht and Vanderbilt are set to make $66 million across their contracts. The Lakers want to get something done before rosters have to be cut down to 15 players, which would let them avoid waiving anyone. Whether they can line up a deal for either player before the season begins is still an open question.
In Other News...
Jonathan Kuminga Faces The One Wolves Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Minnesotas front office already made one major pivot this summer, moving Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets before turning around and signing Jonathan Kuminga in free agency. It was a clean break on paper, a chance for the Timberwolves to reset the frontcourt mix and try to add a different kind of athleticism and upside around their core.
The concern, though, is less about talent than fit. Kuminga brings the kind of ability that can change a game, but the Wolves have watched how quickly a player can bog down an offense when the role is not fully embraced. If he slips into the same kind of ball-dominant habits and mental mistakes that frustrated Minnesota with Randle, the team could be right back where it started, which is why how Kuminga handles his place in the offense matters so much. [Read more 🡒]
Jaden McDaniels Could Be The Wolves Answer To A Real Roster Concern
The Timberwolves have spent much of the offseason looking at a familiar roster question: what happens behind Rudy Gobert when the lineup needs a true backup center? Chris Finch has already acknowledged the team may need to get creative, and that conversation has included the possibility of leaning on Jaden McDaniels in a small-ball role while also mixing in more zone defense to cover some of the frontcourt gaps.
McDaniels has always stood out as one of Minnesotas most versatile defenders, and last seasons rim-protection numbers only strengthen the case for him as a situational answer when the Wolves want to change the shape of the floor. It is not a permanent fix and it would not solve every depth concern, but it gives Finch another lever to pull if the backup big picture gets thin at the wrong time. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Young Depth Faces A Real Fight For Finchs Rotation
The Timberwolves enter the season with a rotation that already looks crowded if everyone stays healthy, and that is before the younger depth pieces get a real chance to push their way into the picture. With starters LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Jonathan Kuminga and Rudy Gobert, plus reserves Ayo Dosunmu and Joan Beringer, there are not many obvious openings for the rest of the bench to claim.
Still, the early competition is where this gets interesting, because a few young names are trying to turn projected depth into something more meaningful. Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bones Hyland appear to have the clearest path to minutes at the start of the year, while Jaylen Clark and Trey Lyles sit in the gray area where a strong camp could move them into the regular mix or leave them fighting for scraps. [Read more 🡒]