The Los Angeles Lakers entered free agency intent on reshaping their roster around Luka Dončić.
They acquired Walker Kessler to anchor the defense, added Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton to deepen the backcourt, signed Sandro Mamukelashvili for frontcourt versatility and quietly improved their financial flexibility by trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards.
One need, however, remains unresolved.
A starting-caliber wing.
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers know exactly who they want.
“There’s definitely Lakers interest in Kuminga too,” Fischer said during a Bleacher Report livestream. “The Lakers, to my understanding, were very in on Kuminga yesterday. They’ve maintained contact there.”
More importantly, Fischer said Los Angeles has already begun recruiting the 23-year-old forward.
“There’s definitely a pitch that’s been made about the opportunity he could have to help Luka Dončić contend in the Western Conference.”
Jonathan Kuminga Becomes Lakers’ Top Remaining Target
The Lakers’ interest in Kuminga is no longer simply exploratory.
Fischer said the former Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks forward has emerged as Los Angeles’ preferred option among the remaining free-agent wings.
“I do think Los Angeles, and have been told that Los Angeles has interest in Jonathan Kuminga,” Fischer said. “Jonathan Kuminga, to my understanding, is the Lakers’ top choice right now at the wing spot of all the guys left on the board.”
The pursuit has been building for nearly a year.
Los Angeles explored acquiring Kuminga during his restricted free agency with Golden State last summer before he ultimately signed a one-plus-one contract. The Lakers also revisited the possibility before the Warriors traded him to Atlanta during the season.
Earlier this week, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Los Angeles continued exploring whether there was a feasible path to acquiring Kuminga despite significant salary-cap constraints.
Fischer’s latest reporting suggests those conversations have evolved into active recruitment.
Kuminga’s Market May Be Narrowing
Landing Kuminga remains easier said than done.
The Hawks declined the forward’s $24.3 million team option, making him one of the most intriguing unrestricted free agents still available.
Yet there is no guarantee he’ll receive a contract approaching that figure.
Most teams entered free agency with limited cap room, and much of that space has already been committed elsewhere. The Brooklyn Nets remain one of the few franchises still projected to have meaningful cap flexibility—roughly under $25 million, according to salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan—but even Brooklyn’s situation isn’t as straightforward as it appears.
Gozlan noted the Nets currently have no open roster spots and would need to include an additional small salary in a potential trade involving center Nic Claxton because they are approximately $917,000 short of making the salary matching work under current projections.
The shrinking number of teams capable of making a significant financial offer could ultimately strengthen the Lakers’ recruiting pitch if Kuminga begins prioritizing role, fit and championship opportunity over maximizing his next contract.
Ayton Trade Quietly Created Another Option
The Deandre Ayton trade may have done more than reshape the Lakers’ center rotation.
By acquiring Jaden Hardy while still operating below the salary cap, Los Angeles gained the ability to immediately aggregate Hardy’s $6 million salary in another trade rather than waiting through the NBA’s aggregation restrictions.
One potential path would involve moving Hardy ($6 million), Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million) and Dalton Knecht ($4.2 million) to a team with available cap space.
Combined, those three contracts total approximately $22.6 million, bringing the Lakers within striking distance of creating room for a contract approaching the value of Kuminga’s previously declined option.
Los Angeles also controls four tradable second-round picks, giving Lakers president Rob Pelinka additional assets that could be attached as incentives for a rebuilding team willing to absorb salary.
No such transaction has been reported, and Fischer did not identify a specific mechanism. But after replenishing their draft capital and acquiring Hardy’s contract, the Lakers possess more flexibility than they did only days ago if they decide Kuminga is worth another round of roster maneuvering.
Lakers Continue Building Around Luka Dončić
Every significant move the Lakers have made this offseason has reflected the same philosophy.
Build a younger, more athletic roster around Dončić while preserving the flexibility to compete immediately.
Kessler answered the need for an elite rim protector. Grimes added perimeter defense and shooting. Sexton injected another playmaker into the rotation. Mamukelashvili strengthened the frontcourt.
Kuminga would address the final major question.
His combination of size, explosiveness and defensive versatility fits the profile the Lakers have sought since making Dončić the centerpiece of the franchise.
The recruiting pitch has already been delivered.
Now comes the more difficult challenge.
If the Lakers truly view Kuminga as the final missing piece, Pelinka must determine whether another round of creative salary-cap maneuvering can turn months of interest into the defining move of Los Angeles’ offseason.
NBA Insider Reveals What Lakers Told Jonathan Kuminga