The offseason rumor mill made Los Angeles Lakers fans believe that free agent Jonathan Kuminga turned down their offer for less money from the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, this may not be true after all after the latest update from Kuminga. The offseason progressed to a point where Kuminga was the best realistic NBA free agent for teams with limited spending money after a few weeks. Kuminga’s low contract with Minnesota was surprising due to the rumors of the Lakers offering more.
Lonzo Ball’s podcast co-host Darren Moore shared a text from Kuminga correcting things they said about him:
“Let’s talk a little bit about Kuminga. He actually DM’d me, and to clear this out for everyone, I’m going to read it verbatim. He said, ‘Gang, I saw the interview, and I never turned down no bread. None of that had ever been offered.’ From the source.”
Kuminga bluntly said that the rumored offers that would have paid him more money never happened. Both the Lakers and Timberwolves were limited in what they could offer Kuminga after their big spending earlier in the offseason. However, the Lakers had a little flexibility to make him the final piece to the new starting lineup built around Luka Doncic. It turns out they never offered the deal if Kuminga is telling the truth.
Why Jonathan Kuminga Is Likely Telling Truth
Kuminga is already being ridiculed by various NBA media outlets for turning down the Golden State Warriors offer last offseason. Obviously, betting on himself backfired since he ultimately signed a far cheaper contract than what he could have got last year.
The Lakers offering him more money than the Timberwolves would have likely been enough to get him. Kuminga clearly wanted to prove he could contribute to a winning team, but he would have done that on the Lakers with Doncic and Austin Reaves getting him easier looks.
One could argue he chose Minnesota because he trusts their roster, and Anthony Edwards more to win an NBA Championship. However, Doncic is more or a passer than Edwards to see the top player having a more vested interest in Kuminga scoring. All variables say Kuminga would have taken the Lakers role for more money than the Timberwolves role for less.
Did The Lakers Leak Lies About Jonathan Kuminga?
It is strange to see reports about Kuminga turning down a bigger Lakers offer if it is untrue. The Lakers are the only ones to benefit from this story being out there after fans and media criticized their offseason moves of losing LeBron James and investing in Walker Kessler as a top three star.
Kuminga reports made Lakers fans excited about potentially adding him to the starting lineup. One more piece who can help the weak power forward depth would be enough to provide some hope, but Kuminga claims they didn’t give him that offer to complete their roster.
Other rumors saw the Lakers wanting to add another free agent before the season. However, Bruce Brown and Ochai Agbaji joining the New York Knicks on non-guaranteed deals show the Lakers weren’t interested. There’s a chance that the Lakers know this is their final roster and have leaked stories to change fan perception lying about said interest.
Jonathan Kuminga Reveals Shocking Truth About Lakers Offer