As the Los Angeles Lakers and Jonathan Kuminga remain far apart in contract talks, it may be time for the Rob Pelinka-led front office to pivot to another 3-and-D wing and a proven commodity such as De’Andre Hunter.
The Lakers trade idea would see the franchise flip three players for Hunter’s $24.9M expiring salary, while retaining their younger pieces and future draft assets. The rebuilding Sacramento Kings will take on Jake LaRavia and Jaden Hardy, both of whom can be waived next summer and the one year remaining on Jarred Vanderbilt.
Lakers Trade Idea Lands De’Andre Hunter
Lakers would receive: De’Andre Hunter
Kings would receive: Jaden Hardy, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt
Why the Lakers Do It
Unlike Kuminga, Hunter is proven 3-and-D threat. During the 2024-25 season, the veteran wing averaged a career-high 19.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while making an impressive 2.6 threes per game for the Atlanta Hawks. Subsequently, he got lost in the shuffle on a loaded Cleveland Cavaliers team, but his ability was never in doubt.
The Lakers onboarded nine new players this season but don’t have a definitive starting small forward, with Quentin Grimes, Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle expected to battle for the spot. Hunter, at this stage of his career, could be safer bet. Furthermore, players tend to up their games on a contract year, meaning the Lakers could get the 2024-25 version of Hunter and with it, a quality starting wing.
Analysts and scouts have predicted that the Lakers will remain a middling defensive unit for a second year in a row, given that most of their offseason acquisitions, save for Walker Kessler and Thybulle, are offensively-skewed players. That would explain why ESPN projects the Lakers to finish as the sixth seed with a 45-37 record.
“The Lakers were a play-in team three times with LeBron James, and now that he is gone, it will be Luka Doncic’s challenge to lead L.A. to a top-six spot,” read the article. “The Lakers are coming off back-to-back 50-win seasons with coach JJ Redick but will field a drastically different lineup beyond the obvious change with James’ departure.
“Gone too are major contributors Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton and Luke Kennard, with Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Collin Sexton headlining the roster turnover.”
Why the Kings Do It
The Sacramento Kings are already in possession of some of the undesirable/risky contracts in the league — Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray and Malik Monk. As such, they will be in no position to re-sign Hunter in a year’s time, and could be better off getting rid of the veteran wing beforehand.
The incoming salaries of Hardy and LaRavia can be waived in a year’s time, while Vanderbilt has a player option worth $13.2M for the 2027-28 season. All things considered, this deal doesn’t hurt Sacramento’s long term vision of building around Darius Acuff Jr., Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford and the rest of their young core.
Lakers Proposed to Land $90M 3-and-D Wing After Kuminga Trade Pivot