The Cleveland Cavaliers remain firmly in the mix for Jonathan Kuminga, but their biggest obstacle may not be convincing the talented forward to join them.
It may be finding a trade structure the Atlanta Hawks are willing to accept.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported late Monday that Cleveland continues to pursue Kuminga despite signing veteran forward Mario Hezonja earlier this offseason. The challenge, Fischer wrote, is the Cavaliers’ salary-cap situation.
“The problem: Cleveland’s lack of available salary-cap space means it would require a sign-and-trade to add Kuminga,” Fischer wrote in The Stein Line. “And sources say that the Cavaliers, because they are already hard-capped at the first apron, have found it challenging to assemble a trade construction that Atlanta would find suitable.”
The report offers fresh insight into why negotiations have yet to gain meaningful traction despite mutual interest between Cleveland and Kuminga.
Cavaliers Still Believe Kuminga Can Elevate Their Roster
Getty Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson has previously worked with Jonathan Kuminga in Golden State when he was Steve Kerr’s lead assistant.
The Cavaliers have shown little indication that their pursuit has cooled.
After the Cavaliers missed out on LeBron James last week, The Athletic reported there is mutual interest between Kuminga and Cleveland. Aaron Turner, Kuminga’s Cleveland-based agent, told The Athletic: “Jonathan likes the Cavs, likes (coach) Kenny Atkinson, and (star) Donovan Mitchell likes him.” Turner added that Kuminga is fond of Cleveland after spending two months training there last summer.
The familiarity extends beyond geography.
Kuminga previously worked with Atkinson when the coach served as an assistant under Steve Kerr with the Golden State Warriors, giving Cleveland an established relationship with one of the NBA’s most intriguing young forwards.
Even after adding Hezonja in free agency, Fischer reported that sources with knowledge of the Cavaliers’ thinking insisted Monday the organization continues to maintain interest in Kuminga.
From a basketball standpoint, the fit remains clear.
Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference finals last season but continues searching for another athletic, two-way wing capable of defending multiple positions while easing the burden on Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and newly signed James Harden.
At 23, Kuminga also aligns with the Cavaliers’ long-term core while providing another versatile frontcourt option for Atkinson.
First-Apron Restrictions Continue to Complicate Negotiations
The challenge has become constructing a deal rather than identifying a target.
Because the Cavaliers are already hard-capped at the first apron, every dollar matters in a potential sign-and-trade.
According to Fischer, veterans Max Strus and Dennis Schröder remain logical outgoing salary pieces. However, Fischer reported Cleveland has been resistant to attaching draft capital to packages involving either player, even though moving one of their contracts would create additional financial flexibility.
That reluctance is understandable.
Strus averaged 11.2 points while shooting 40.2% from the 3-point range during Cleveland’s run to the Eastern Conference finals, providing valuable floor spacing and playoff experience. Schröder also supplied veteran playmaking and backcourt depth after joining the Cavaliers.
Moving either player already represents a meaningful basketball sacrifice. Adding premium draft assets on top of that could further complicate the Cavaliers’ long-term roster-building strategy.
Atlanta, meanwhile, has little incentive to facilitate a deal without receiving meaningful value in return.
That leaves president of basketball operations Koby Altman navigating a difficult balancing act.
The Cavaliers still view Kuminga as an impact addition capable of raising the team’s championship ceiling. At the same time, they must remain below the first apron, preserve roster depth and avoid surrendering assets that could weaken an Eastern Conference contender fresh off its deepest playoff run in years.
Fischer’s reporting makes one thing clear: Cleveland has not walked away from Kuminga.
Instead, the Cavaliers continue searching for a trade framework that satisfies Atlanta while fitting within the NBA’s restrictive salary-cap rules—a challenge that has become the biggest obstacle to landing one of the offseason’s most coveted remaining free agents.
Cavaliers Receive Concerning Jonathan Kuminga Update After Insider Report