The Los Angeles Lakers spent a solid portion of the 2026 NBA offseason pursuing Jonathan Kuminga.
Once it became clear that Kuminga wasn’t guaranteed to return to the Atlanta Hawks, the Lakers became one of the most notable suitors on his shortlist.
Ultimately, Kuminga went to the Minnesota Timberwolves. When he was officially introduced as a member of the Wolves on September 10, the veteran forward was accused of taking a shot at the Lakers while explaining his decision to go to Minnesota.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Statement
“I think this was the best decision for me. I just wanted to go to a winning culture. I think this was one of the best winning cultures I could have chosen out of all the options. I spoke to so many people on this team, including front office, coaches, some of the players, and the vibe was just the type of vibe I was looking for,” Kuminga told reporters.
“I would say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made, just looking at the roster, looking at the young group of guys they have. Seeing what they’ve done in the past and things they’re trying to accomplish going forward. I think I fit well with this culture and I can come here and help win as many games as we can. … I think the choice was, we’re trying to win. Trying to help winning. That’s why I made this decision.”
While it wasn’t a direct shot at the Lakers, it’s a subtle jab, at least.
The Lakers might be playoff contenders with a title win within the past six years, but the Timberwolves have had more postseason success in recent seasons.
The NBA World Reacts To Jonathan Kuminga’s Comments
“One of the only 4 franchises to never even MAKE a finals appearance, let alone win one btw,” Kenny the Laker Fanatic wrote on X.
“He gotta just admit that he can’t handle the pressure on the lakers cause each reason is getting dumber and dumber,” another Lakers fan wrote.
“Kuminga says he chose Timberwolves over the Lakers because he wanted a “winning culture” 😂😂😂😂😂. We gotta donate bro’s brain to science 😭,” LakeShowYo reacted.
“Listen, Minnesota has had a nice run recently, but if that’s supposed to be a shot at the Lakers, let’s pull the numbers,” SleeperLakers stated. “….Minnesota deserves credit for what they’ve built recently, but let’s not start rewriting what “winning culture” means now 🤷♂️.”
“Kuminga literally said out loud that the Wolves have a better winning culture than the Lakers. That’s the same team that just won ZERO championships in 37 years. We just dodged a guy who thinks Minnesota basketball is more successful than LA basketball. Good luck to him,” PurpGold said.
Jonathan Kuminga’s NBA Run
In the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga landed with the Golden State Warriors as the No. 7 pick.
He showed a lot of promise early on, playing a rotational role for the Warriors’ 2022 title team. Since then, he struggled to prove to the Warriors that he was the face of the future.
After signing a short-term deal with Golden State last summer, Kuminga was traded midseason to the Atlanta Hawks. He finished out the 2025-2026 season with the Hawks, and hit free agency as an unrestricted player for the first time.
Earlier this month, Kuminga inked a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Timberwolves. Soon, we’ll see if his idea about the Timberwolves and the Lakers stands true.