The Sacramento Kings have already surfaced as a possible landing spot for Jonathan Kuminga, and that buzz could matter a lot more next offseason than it does right now.
For the moment, the Kings have taken a quieter route in free agency than many expected. That approach has kept their books cleaner, moved them beneath the second apron, and left them with what should be meaningful flexibility when the market opens again next summer.
Kuminga is one of the names that has stayed attached to Sacramento. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported Thursday that "The Sacramento Kings is a team Jonathan Kuminga believes will give him a significant payday if he were to reach unrestricted free agency next season," and that belief is part of what makes this situation worth watching.
Kuminga’s current deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves reflects a very different market than the one he initially hoped for. After looking for major money in free agency, he settled for a two-year, $12.4 million contract with a player option for next season. That setup gives him a chance to turn 2025-26 into a prove-it year and push for a much larger contract next summer.
The former No. 7 overall pick entered the league with plenty of buzz when the Golden State Warriors brought him in as part of their long-term vision. But his game never meshed especially well with Golden State’s 3-point heavy motion offense, and the mismatch showed up in both his role and his future with the team.
Eventually, the Warriors moved him to the Atlanta Hawks before last season’s trade deadline.
His stint in Atlanta was short, but it offered enough to keep teams interested. Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 16 appearances.
In the playoffs, he had several solid outings against the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks, scoring in double figures in five of Atlanta’s six postseason games. His two best performances came in the Hawks’ wins, when he put up 21 and 19 points while shooting efficiently.
That kind of athletic profile is exactly why Sacramento keeps coming up. The Kings still need more length and defensive presence alongside the offense-first backcourt of Darius Acuff Jr. and Zach LaVine, and Kuminga’s size, burst, and physical tools would give them something different.
General Manager Scott Perry said this offseason, "We wanna continue adding people that are tough, athletic, and that are gonna fit into the style we wanna play," a description that lines up neatly with Kuminga’s appeal.
If he puts together a productive season in Minnesota, he could easily turn down the option in his current contract and test free agency again. If that happens, Sacramento already looks like a team ready to make a run.
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Bruce Brown Feels Like The Kings Bench Answer They Still Lack
The Kings have spent camp trying to sort out their second unit, and the search has left a familiar opening for a player like Bruce Brown. Sacramento needs more bench stability and a stronger defensive backbone, and Brown has already shown he can fit into a variety of roles across six NBA teams in eight seasons, including a championship run with Denver in 2022-23.
Brown is with the Knicks on an Exhibit 9 contract right now, so he is not sitting on Sacramentos roster sheet as an obvious solution. Even so, the kind of player he is, versatile, experienced, and comfortable in high-leverage minutes, is exactly why his name keeps hovering around this conversation while the Kings continue weighing camp options such as Cam Payne and Elfrid Payton without making a formal push. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Fans Wont Like What This Long Term Outlook Says
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There is still some foundational work in place, including a roster built around veteran contracts and a team that keeps most of its future draft picks. Even so, the long-view skepticism is hard to miss, and it leaves the Kings facing the same question that has hovered over the franchise for years: whether the current setup is sturdy enough to turn those assets into real sustained success. [Read more 🡒]
DeAndre Hunter Could Be Bigger For The Kings Than Fans Think
DeAndre Hunter arrived in Sacramento during the 2025 season and quickly gave the Kings a look at why they valued him as more than just another rotation piece. In his time with the team, he put up 13.7 points per game while also chipping in on the boards and as a connector, and his defensive versatility stood out in a way that fit what the Kings have been trying to build around their core.
What makes Hunter interesting going forward is not just the production he already showed, but the experience he brings into his ninth NBA season. Sacramento has reason to believe he could matter even more in 2026-27, though there was also enough uneven play in a small sample to leave a little mystery about just how high his impact can climb once the sample size grows. [Read more 🡒]