The Portland Trail Blazers may have a quieter route into the Jonathan Kuminga market than most teams, and it starts with the numbers already sitting on their books.
On a recent episode of the Game Theory podcast with Sam Vecenie, the discussion centered on Portland still having its full MLE available. Because the Blazers are far enough under the first apron, they can use the entire exception without crossing that line. That gives them a real opening if Kuminga is willing to sign a deal that begins at $15 million or less in the first season.
That matters because Portland would not need to navigate a sign-and-trade at all. Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent, so the Blazers could simply bring him in with the MLE if the contract fits. While Portland has not been widely talked about as a destination, the fit is there as the team tries to build out its new-look core.
Kuminga is still very much a swing on upside. He has not yet shown he can consistently help a team win at the highest level, and the source material notes that he flamed out with the Golden State Warriors. It also says the Hawks do not seem eager to bring him back.
Even so, the appeal is obvious. Kuminga is a freak athlete with at least some scoring ability, and that kind of burst could play nicely at power forward. With so much guard talent on the roster - Damian Lillard, Ja Morant, Scoot Henderson, Jrue Holiday - Portland could use a forward who brings a different look.
At 23 years old, Kuminga still has time to develop, which is part of the draw. For a team like the Blazers, that makes him the kind of talent bet worth considering.
There’s also a straightforward roster reason this makes sense. Portland is heavy on guards and lighter on forwards, so adding another four would help balance the group. Kuminga could fit behind Toumani Camara at power forward, even if he probably would not overtake Camara as a starter.
The athletic gap between the two is part of what makes Kuminga intriguing. Camara does not have Kuminga’s explosiveness, but there would still be room for both in the rotation.
He could also give Portland another way to push the pace. A fast break with Morant and Kuminga running the floor would be a problem for defenses. And with Jerami Grant and Kris Murray sent out in the Morant deal, adding Kuminga would help replace some of the forward depth the Blazers lost.
If Portland can make the money work, this would be a very interesting move.
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