The Los Angeles Lakers may have just seen their biggest competition for Jonathan Kuminga disappear.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers officially signed former No. 5 overall pick Mario Hezonja to a one-year, $2.8 million contract, one of the NBA’s most logical alternative landing spots for Kuminga appears off the board. While Hezonja isn’t the same caliber of player, he fills the same position as a versatile 6-foot-8 forward capable of providing size, shooting and scoring on the wing.
That significantly improves the Lakers’ chances of eventually landing Kuminga, whose restricted free agency has dragged deep into the offseason.
Cleveland had long been viewed as Los Angeles’ biggest threat if it pivoted away from its pursuit of LeBron James.
Instead, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman moved in another direction.
Cavaliers’ Kuminga Interest Appears to Cool
Getty The Cleveland Cavaliers quickly pivoted to Mario Hezonja after missing out on LeBron James, leaving the Los Angeles Lakers one less aggressive suitor for Jonathan Kuminga.
Before Cleveland signed Hezonja, the Cavaliers had been repeatedly linked to Kuminga.
Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported Tuesday on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast that Kuminga represented Cleveland’s contingency plan if LeBron James chose another destination in free agency.
“I do think that that is their backup plan,” Fedor said at the time. “I just don’t know how appealing that is, because we’re talking about LeBron James, and now we’re talking about Jonathan Kuminga.”
James ultimately signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, seemingly opening the door for Cleveland to aggressively pursue Kuminga.
Instead, the Cavaliers addressed their forward rotation by bringing in Hezonja, who resurrected his career with Real Madrid after spending five seasons in the NBA with the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers.
Hezonja’s arrival doesn’t necessarily eliminate Cleveland from the Kuminga market, but it substantially reduces the urgency to invest between $15 million and $20 million annually in another forward.
That leaves the Lakers with one fewer serious competitor.
Lakers Hold Stronger Position in Kuminga Sweepstakes
Kuminga remains one of the Lakers’ most intriguing long-term targets.
The 23-year-old forward is reportedly seeking a contract worth between $15 million and $20 million per season, but any deal would require the cooperation of the Atlanta Hawks.
After acquiring Kuminga from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis before last season’s trade deadline, Atlanta retained Kuminga’s Bird rights despite his unrestricted free-agent status. That means the Hawks can exceed the salary cap to re-sign him before immediately trading him in a sign-and-trade agreement.
The Athletic’s Dan Woike previously reported that the Lakers remain interested in Kuminga but have been unwilling to include significant draft compensation to complete such a deal. Los Angeles owns only a 2032 first-round pick swap and three tradable second-round selections, limiting its flexibility.
The Lakers also have little incentive to bid against themselves.
Lakers president Rob Pelinka already reinforced the wing rotation by signing Ziaire Williams and defensive specialist Matisse Thybulle to one-year veteran minimum contracts. While neither player offers Kuminga’s athletic upside or two-way potential, both provide enough depth for Los Angeles to remain patient.
The Lakers currently have 16 guaranteed contracts, one above the regular-season roster limit, making a consolidation trade a logical possibility before opening night.
With Cleveland seemingly shifting its attention to Hezonja, one of Kuminga’s strongest alternative destinations appears to have faded.
That doesn’t guarantee Kuminga ends up in Los Angeles.
But it could make the Lakers’ patient approach far more likely to pay off.
Lakers’ Jonathan Kuminga Odds Take Intriguing Turn After Cavaliers Move