The Jazz had a chance to land Jonathan Kuminga once before, and they passed for a good reason.
Two years ago, Golden State asked about Lauri Markkanen, and Utah declined the chance to swap an All-Star in his prime for Kuminga. That call has aged well. This situation is a different animal entirely.
Kuminga is now a free agent, and his market is shrinking fast. He’s still good enough to belong in the NBA, but the list of teams with real interest keeps getting shorter, and everyone is waiting to see what LeBron James does before the rest of the dominoes start falling. That creates a window for Utah to step in and take a low-cost swing if Kuminga is available.
The idea of him becoming a future star has lost a lot of steam. So has the argument that all he needs is the right system, especially after hardly anything changed when Atlanta brought him in. Even so, there’s still a path to turning him into something useful, and a buy-low, team-friendly deal would give him plenty of reason to show he belongs.
Kuminga has been maddeningly inconsistent, but the talent is real. When he’s rolling, he can swing a playoff series. He played a key role in Atlanta going up 2-1 against New York, and his quiet next three games helped open the door for the Knicks’ comeback.
That’s the appeal for Utah. This wouldn’t be a move for a rising star.
It would be a move for someone who can matter when the games get tight against title-level competition. And he’s already an NBA champion.
Roster-wise, the Jazz can make it work. They now have 15 players after signing Mo Bamba, though his deal is only partially guaranteed, so the team has flexibility there. If Kuminga came aboard, Bamba would likely be the odd man out, though that possibility exists either way.
Utah could also still make trades to lift its ceiling, and Daniel Gafford has surfaced as a potential, though unconfirmed, target. There’s also the matter of the wing rotation, which could get awkward if the Jazz plan to start Lauri Markkanen at the 3.
It would be an unusual fit, no question. But Utah has shown it can capitalize when the right opportunity comes along, including previous chances involving Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler. Kuminga isn’t in that class as a prospect, but for a playoff team looking for a cheap upside play, this is the kind of opening worth considering.
In Other News...
Mo Bamba's Place With The Jazz May Not Be As Safe As It Seems
Mo Bamba arrived in Utah on a deal that gives the Jazz some protection and him a chance to stick, which is exactly the kind of low-risk move teams make when they want size without tying up future flexibility. The veteran center signed a two-year, $7.2 million non-guaranteed contract, a structure that leaves the front office room to keep adjusting the roster as training camp and the preseason unfold.
For Bamba, the challenge is simple enough: hold a spot on a roster that still has room to change. The Jazz currently have 15 players locked in, but one more signing or a trade could alter the math before opening night, and thats what makes his situation worth watching even after the initial signing buzz fades. [Read more 🡒]