The Los Angeles Lakers remain interested in Jonathan Kuminga.
Whether they are willing to meet the Atlanta Hawks‘ asking price is another matter.
After California Post reporter Khobi Price reported that Atlanta is open to a sign-and-trade framework that would send Kuminga to Los Angeles for Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap, Lakers insider Jovan Buha added an important detail from the Lakers’ side of the negotiation.
Speaking on Buha’s Block, Buha confirmed Price’s reporting on the type of package Atlanta would consider. But he also reported that Los Angeles has reservations about including its lone tradable first-round asset this offseason.
“I want to give a big shout out to friend of the show… Khobi Price… who had a huge report today updating the Kuminga situation,” Buha said. “He reported that Atlanta is open to trading Jonathan Kuminga to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade with the framework being Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round swap.”
Then came the part that could determine whether the pursuit advances.
“Now, I have heard the Lakers are reluctant to give up that swap and are reluctant to give up that swap in that specific deal,” Buha said.
The issue is not whether the Lakers like Kuminga.
They do.
The issue is whether they like him enough to surrender the last piece of first-round draft capital they can trade until 2028.
Lakers Protecting Final First-Round Asset
The 2032 first-round pick swap is not a normal piece of draft currency for Los Angeles.
It is the Lakers’ only remaining first-round draft asset available to move in the next two years, making it one of the few premium chips left after an aggressive roster reshaping around Luka Dončić.
That context explains the hesitation.
The Lakers have already pushed significant resources into building a new core around Dončić, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler. Giving up the 2032 swap for Kuminga would further limit their flexibility for future moves.
Price reported that Atlanta would be willing to execute a sign-and-trade around Vanderbilt and the swap, while noting Los Angeles also has three second-round picks available.
Buha’s reporting suggests the Lakers may prefer to build an offer around those lesser assets rather than attach their final first-round option.
Kuminga Still Fits Lakers’ Search
None of that changes Kuminga’s appeal.
The 23-year-old forward remains the type of player the Lakers have been seeking: young, athletic, defensively versatile and capable of growing alongside Dončić.
Los Angeles has already shown it values him beyond a minimum-salary swing.
According to the Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner, the Lakers increased their offer from a veteran-minimum deal to a two-year, $20 million proposal.
A sign-and-trade would be more complicated.
Price reported Kuminga’s contract would need to cover at least three or four seasons, excluding option years, with the first season fully guaranteed. Such a deal would likely require a higher annual salary, potentially closer to the $24.3 million team option Atlanta declined before Kuminga entered restricted free agency.
That is where the calculation becomes difficult.
Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range in 36 games with Atlanta last season. Including the playoffs, he averaged 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds over 22 appearances.
The production is real.
So are the questions.
Kuminga never established himself as a full-time starter in Atlanta or Golden State, which selected him with the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft.
Vanderbilt Still Central to Framework
Vanderbilt remains the Lakers’ most logical salary-matching piece if a deal moves forward.
The 27-year-old has two years and $25.7 million remaining on the four-year, $48 million extension he signed in 2023. He is owed $12.4 million this season and holds a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28.
Price also reported the Lakers have been willing to move Vanderbilt, along with other players, to create more roster-building flexibility.
The question is what they are willing to attach to him.
For Atlanta, the 2032 pick swap appears to be the key piece that makes a sign-and-trade framework appealing.
For Los Angeles, that same asset may be the line it is unwilling to cross.
The Lakers want Kuminga.
But if Buha’s latest reporting is any indication, they do not want him badly enough to simply meet Atlanta’s price without a longer negotiation.
Lakers Insider Reveals What’s Holding Up Jonathan Kuminga Sign-and-Trade