Jonathan Kuminga’s price tag is starting to look like the real obstacle in any potential move to Sacramento.
The Kings have made room to operate this offseason, and they’re still looking for young talent after a rough 22-60 campaign that left them fourth-worst in the league. They used that lottery position to land Darius Acuff Jr. with the 7th overall pick, and with Acuff Jr. showing exceptionally well in Summer League, Sacramento appears ready to keep adding pieces that fit the identity Perry wants.
But Kuminga’s reported ask could put him just out of reach.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the forward is seeking a deal worth around $25 million per season. That number is well above what the Kings can comfortably offer without a sign-and-trade, even after they improved their financial flexibility by waiving DeMar DeRozan and leaving only $10 million of his 2026-27 salary guaranteed.
Keith Smith of Spotrac said that move pushed Sacramento below both the luxury tax and the first apron.
"They're now under both aprons comfortably," Smith said on Sactown Sports' The Drive Guys. "They're about $4 million under the luxury tax, they're about $9 million or so under the first apron."
That gives the Kings options, but not enough to simply hand Kuminga the kind of money he’s reportedly after.
Smith estimated Sacramento could use about $8-9 million of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and still stay below the first apron. If the team stretches DeRozan’s remaining guaranteed salary, it could open access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is worth just over $15 million. Even that would still come up short of Kuminga’s reported $25 million annual target.
Still, Smith didn’t rule out the possibility that Sacramento could remain in the mix if the market keeps tightening.
"I do think there's a chance we could still see him with the Kings," he said. "Especially again as his market kind of dries up there."
The Lakers have also been connected to Kuminga, though they have financial hurdles of their own. Fischer reported that Los Angeles has discussed a sign-and-trade idea built around Jarred Vanderbilt and a 2032 first-round pick, but the Hawks have reportedly shown little interest in taking on Vanderbilt’s contract.
Khobi Price of the California Post previously reported that the Lakers’ offer was closer to $10 million per season, another reminder that there’s still a sizable gap between what Kuminga wants and what teams appear willing to pay.
For Sacramento, that leaves the door open only if Kuminga is willing to reset his expectations and chase a bigger market later rather than cashing in right away.
In Other News...
Charles Barkley Just Delivered A Brutal Verdict On The Kings
Sacramentos rebuild is already looking like a long one, and the roster turnover tells the story. The Kings have moved on from the core that helped fuel their recent playoff run, with DeAaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes and DeMar DeRozan all gone or waived as the franchise resets after a 22-60 finish and a 14th-place showing in the Western Conference.
The hope now is that Darius Acuff Jr. becomes part of the next wave, but even that comes with the usual summer uncertainty. The 2026 first-round pick has flashed enough to keep attention on him, yet his Summer League play has been uneven, which only adds to the sense that Sacramento is still searching for a clear path back to relevance. [Read more 🡒]
Kings Just Made A Big Rebuild Commitment To Their Rookie Class
The Kings have spent the early part of their rebuild making a clear bet on their newest class, locking in three 2026 draft picks on long-term deals and signaling that these young players are expected to grow with the roster rather than wait in the wings. Two of the signings came on standard rookie-scale contracts, while the third was handled through the second-round exception, a structure that gives Sacramento more control as it tries to shape the next phase of the team.
What makes the move notable is how directly it ties the front office to the development plan. Sacramento wants these rookies integrated with the main roster so their growth happens in the day-to-day NBA environment, not off to the side, and that approach adds a little more urgency to how the Kings manage the rest of the roster. There is still some flexibility left to sort through, but the bigger question now is how quickly this group can be folded into a rotation that is still very much under construction. [Read more 🡒]
One Rookie Just Put Pistons Fans On Notice In Vegas
The Las Vegas Summer League has already started sorting out which 2026 rookies look ready for a bigger stage, and Sacramento had one of the more eye-catching showings in the early slate. Among the mix of top picks and undrafted newcomers putting up numbers across the first few days, the Kings got a strong outing from their rookie group in a win that stood out because of how active and efficient it was on both ends.
One Sacramento rookie, the No. 45 pick, led the way with a game-high 21 points while adding defensive disruption and taking care of the ball, a useful sign for a player trying to carve out a role quickly. The Kings also had another summer league performance worth noting in a separate win over Orlando, where a different young player filled the box score with scoring, rebounding and rim protection, giving the front office a little more to track as the summer rolls on. [Read more 🡒]