Jonathan Kuminga’s move to the Minnesota Timberwolves came with a twist that undercuts one of the loudest rumors in the lead-up to his decision: the Los Angeles Lakers did not, according to Kuminga, have the biggest offer on the table.
That pushback surfaced on the Ball in the Family Podcast with Lonzo & Gelo Ball, where Lonzo’s manager, Darren Moore, said Kuminga told him he did not turn down a larger Lakers offer. That directly challenges the idea that Los Angeles had outbid everyone else in the chase for the one-time NBA champion.
The Lakers had spent the process trying to sell Kuminga on a meaningful role, including the possibility of starting in Los Angeles alongside Luka Doncic. For a while, they looked like the clear favorite, and plenty of people around the situation believed it was only a matter of time before he landed in Tinseltown.
Instead, Kuminga chose Minnesota and a chance to play with Anthony Edwards. The explanation attached to that decision was that he wanted to join a “winning culture,” even though the Timberwolves have never won an NBA title and the Lakers have 17 championship banners hanging in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena.
The contract details tell the rest of the story. The rumored Lakers deal was a three-year, $36 million offer, which would have paid him $12 million annually and matched the length required in a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks. Kuminga ultimately signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Timberwolves that includes a player option for the second year.
That structure matters. While Kuminga has framed the move as one centered on winning, the deal also gives him flexibility.
With the Lakers, he would have been locked into three straight seasons at $12 million per year. In Minnesota, the setup works almost like a one-year arrangement because of the player option, leaving the 2026-27 season as a prove-it year if he wants to set himself up for a bigger payday next summer.
So the story may not be finished at all. The Kuminga saga figures to come back around next summer, when he’ll again be in position to chase a more lucrative long-term contract with Minnesota or another team. Whether the Lakers jump back into the picture then, or decide they’ve already had enough of this chase, remains to be seen.
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Anthony Edwards Had A Funny Response To LeBron Passing On Minnesota
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Anthony Edwards, never one to miss a chance to keep things loose, had some jokes ready when asked about the decision. His comments leaned into the familiar Minnesota weather angle and turned the whole thing into a little local humor, which is often how these moments get handled when a franchise like the Wolves is trying to lure a legend and coming up just short. [Read more 🡒]
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Timberwolves Still Have One Clear Roster Problem To Solve
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Around the NBA, the Knicks just scrambled to patch up their own center room after losing two players there, turning to veterans Drew Eubanks and James Wiseman on training-camp deals. Minnesota has been linked to a possible reunion with Kevin Love, but no official move has followed, so the Wolves are still left with one obvious question hanging over the rest of the roster build. [Read more 🡒]