The Jonathan Kuminga market has narrowed. The Los Angeles Lakers’ path to him has not necessarily gotten simpler.
Cleveland’s acquisition of Peyton Watson on a four-year, $88 million deal removed one of Kuminga’s most prominent suitors, leaving the Lakers in an increasingly favorable position for the 23-year-old forward.
But according to ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel, Los Angeles still has a problem to solve before it can manufacture a sign-and-trade with Atlanta.
It needs to find a home for Jarred Vanderbilt.
“Jarred Vanderbilt has been the main holdup in terms of the Lakers’ pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga,” Siegel said Thursday on Clutch Scoops.
The Lakers, Siegel added, are willing to construct a deal involving Vanderbilt and could put Dalton Knecht into the package if that’s what it takes.
The problem? Atlanta doesn’t want Vanderbilt.
Lakers May Need Another Team to Complete Kuminga Deal
GettyJarred Vanderbilt of the Los Angeles Lakers remains the holdup in acquiring Jonathan Kuminga via sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks, according to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel.
That leaves Los Angeles searching for a facilitator.
Siegel said the Lakers could need a third — perhaps even a fourth — team willing to absorb salary to complete a Kuminga sign-and-trade.
“So now it’s like, can you get a third team involved? Can you get a fourth team involved?” Siegel said. “And that’s when these things just start being held up.”
Finding that team in late August is easier said than done. Most rosters and cap sheets have already taken shape, leaving few clubs with the flexibility — or incentive — to absorb unwanted money without compensation.
Knecht could provide Los Angeles another asset to put into the transaction.
“I feel like that they would include Dalton Knecht as well if that’s what it took to get Jonathan Kuminga,” Siegel said.
The willingness to discuss Knecht underscores how seriously the Lakers remain interested in Kuminga.
Siegel said Los Angeles views the athletic forward as an “excellent piece” alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, potentially even as a starter. Kuminga’s ability to cut, finish and run in transition could give two of the Lakers’ best playmakers another dynamic target.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Market Is Running Out of Teams
The Lakers also have something they didn’t possess earlier in the process: fewer competitors.
Cleveland had been linked to Kuminga before acquiring Watson from Denver. That transaction effectively removes the Cavaliers from the chase.
Siegel identified the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets as the three Western Conference teams he is now watching most closely.
Minnesota has interest but would need to create additional financial flexibility to use its roughly $6 million taxpayer midlevel exception. Denver could become intriguing if Kuminga’s market collapses far enough that he considers a one-year, prove-it contract.
Milwaukee remains an outside possibility after losing out on Watson, according to Siegel.
That shrinking market could eventually become the Lakers’ greatest leverage.
Kuminga has sought a more lucrative contract than his remaining suitors appear positioned to offer. If those opportunities don’t materialize, his camp may eventually have to reconsider either its salary expectations or the possibility of taking a short-term deal.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, appears prepared to make a meaningful sacrifice.
The Lakers still want Kuminga. They could include Knecht. They believe he fits with Doncic and Reaves.
What they need now is the missing piece of the transaction:
A team willing to take Vanderbilt.
What Lakers Need to Land Jonathan Kuminga, per NBA Insider