Any deal that lands the Los Angeles Lakers former Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga this offseason is an utter pipe dream at this point in the summer, according to one of the foremost insiders around the NBA.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN was exasperated when speaking about the topic on the Tuesday, July 21 edition of the “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective” podcast. He acknowledged that while there was the potential for such an agreement earlier this summer, a sign and trade between the Lakers and Hawks for Kuminga now makes zero sense for either team for multiple reasons.
“The Atlanta Hawks have 17 players on their roster with guaranteed contracts … who are they taking in a sign and trade for Jonathan Kuminga?” Windhorst said.
“They’re not going in the luxury tax to do it, either… they’re $4.1 million below the luxury tax,” co-host Bobby Marks of ESPN added. “So if you’re the Lakers and you think you’re gonna trade them Jarred Vanderbilt…”
Lakers, Hawks Could Have Worked Out Deal for Jonathan Kuminga Earlier in July
GettyJonathan Kuminga, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks.
Windhorst explained the opportunity that Los Angeles had earlier in July to execute a sign and trade for Kuminga, as well as why that window has since passed.
“The Lakers could actually have done a sign and trade for Kuminga two weeks ago,” Windhorst said. “When the Lakers traded DeAndre Ayton to the [Washington] Wizards, there was a window there where the Hawks could have gotten in on the sign and trade … before the Hawks made other acquisitions and got up against the luxury tax.”
That said, such a move would not have been so simple even a couple of weeks back when it might have made sense for the Hawks, namely because Kuminga wouldn’t have hit the $20 million-plus mark in annual salary that he is currently hunting in free agency.
“What [the Lakers] could have paid him would have been, you know, less than the midlevel ($15.1 million annually),” Windhorst continued.
Lakers Signed Ziaire Williams, Reducing Need for Jonathan Kuminga
GettyZiaire Williams of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Finally, the Lakers have also already moved on with regards to their need for more size at the wing position, doing so in the form of Zaire Williams.
“Just know, that was the window to get [Kuminga] to L.A. … was when they sent Ayton to Washington,” Windhorst said. “And by the way, after they sent Ayton to Washington, they then went out and signed Zaire Williams — a wing.”
Any sign and trade at all for Kuminga, let alone with the Lakers, is going to be difficult and is highly unlikely now, according to Marks. He said that is because 23 of the league’s 30 teams are essentially hard-capped at this point in the summer and most of the relevant NBA business for this portion of the calendar has now concluded.
The last option for the Lakers to land Kuminga is if he can’t get a multiyear deal he likes anywhere else and decides to sign with a team for the league minimum, bet on himself to play well and return to free agency in the summer of 2027.
In that scenario, Los Angeles would have to prove itself the best opportunity for Kuminga to show his talents and earn a big paycheck, which might be a hard sell with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves likely to dominate the basketball on offense for the majority of possessions.
Lakers Won’t Acquire Jonathan Kuminga via Sign and Trade: Report