The Los Angeles Lakers offered Jonathan Kuminga more money, a starting role and the opportunity to play alongside Luka Doncic.
Minnesota offered something Kuminga valued more.
Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, revealed that the 23-year-old forward ultimately viewed the Timberwolves as the best basketball situation available to him, with Anthony Edwards emerging as a driving force in a recruitment that helped Minnesota overcome the Lakers’ significantly richer offer.
“We sat at the gym this week, and I asked him, what’s the best basketball situation?” Turner told The Athletic. “He said Minnesota. Well, nothing else matters. Why would you go anywhere else?”
That provides the clearest explanation yet for how the Lakers lost one of their top offseason targets despite putting more money on the table.
Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million contract with Minnesota that includes a player option for 2027-28. The Lakers were prepared to offer more than $12 million annually over three years in a potential sign-and-trade, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Money, Turner said, was not the deciding factor.
Lakers’ Recruitment Fell Short Despite Bigger Offer
Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick met virtually with Kuminga after Atlanta declined his $24.3 million team option, ESPN previously reported. They pitched him on a significant role alongside Doncic and remained engaged throughout his free agency.
But Minnesota’s recruitment became far more personal.
“Ant was super active in the recruitment of him,” Turner told The Athletic. “One thing he did was focus his message on, ’ We’re gonna really guard here. Everybody looked at the offensive end. JK and I looked more at the defensive end.”
Edwards wasn’t alone.
LaMelo Ball and Jaden McDaniels also reached out. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly met Kuminga for dinner in Miami, owner Alex Rodriguez connected with him and coach Chris Finch held several conversations with the forward.
“It was such a solid respect factor from top to bottom,” Turner said.
The contrast is notable from the Lakers’ perspective.
Pelinka and Redick recruited Kuminga and could sell him on playing with Doncic. But there has been no public reporting identifying Doncic or Austin Reaves as personally recruiting him.
Minnesota’s franchise star did.
“Ant can relate to JK in a way very few, if any, in the world can,” Turner said. “Him saying, ‘I know what you can do’ meant a lot.”
Anthony Edwards Sold Kuminga on Basketball Fit
Edwards’ pitch wasn’t about touches or scoring.
He sold Kuminga on defense.
Kuminga saw an opportunity to play alongside four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and McDaniels, one of the league’s top perimeter defenders. Turner said Kuminga envisions helping defend opponents’ best scorers, pressuring the ball, rebounding and creating transition opportunities.
“Ant did a great job of painting a picture of we’re going to be nasty defensively, and we’re going to share the ball,” Turner said.
That message appears particularly significant after Kuminga’s turbulent ending with Golden State, where questions about his role under Steve Kerr followed him until his February trade to Atlanta.
Minnesota also had an obvious opening at power forward after trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid in the offseason. Kuminga is expected to start alongside Edwards, Ball, McDaniels and Gobert.
For the Lakers, the rejection leaves an unfinished piece in a roster built around Doncic. Los Angeles identified Kuminga’s athleticism, size and defensive versatility as traits it wanted in its frontcourt and was prepared to pay substantially more to get them.
It still wasn’t enough.
The Lakers didn’t lose Kuminga because they were unwilling to pay.
They lost him because, when Kuminga separated the money from the decision, Minnesota made him feel wanted and the basketball situation made more sense.
Lakers Finally Get Answer on Why Jonathan Kuminga Rejected Bigger Offer