The Minnesota Timberwolves did not win the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes by offering the most money.
They won because Kuminga decided Minnesota offered the best opportunity.
Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract with the Timberwolves that includes a player option, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday. Agent Aaron Turner told ESPN that his client chose Minnesota over offers from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers.
The decision was hardly an obvious financial one.
According to Charania, the Lakers offered Kuminga a similar starting role and more than $12 million annually over three years. He bypassed that proposal to accept a shorter contract in Minnesota, where the player option will give him more control over his future.
For the Wolves, it is a low-cost wager with potentially enormous upside.
Edwards, Connelly Led Full-Court Recruitment
Getty Jonathan Kuminga chose the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Lakers in a major free agency decision that finally addressed the team’s need at power forward.
The Wolves made sure Kuminga understood how badly they wanted him.
Minnesota persistently recruited the 23-year-old over the past month, offering the taxpayer midlevel exception — its strongest available financial tool — and a larger on-court opportunity, according to Charania.
Edwards was a central figure in what Charania described as a “full-court recruiting press.” His involvement gave Kuminga an endorsement from the franchise’s most important player and offered an early indication of how Minnesota’s new core views the partnership.
President Tim Connelly also traveled to Miami earlier this month for a four-hour, in-person meeting with Kuminga. Coach Chris Finch held productive conversations with the forward about his prospective role.
That persistence proved more persuasive than the Lakers’ money.
Kuminga is expected to join Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert in a starting lineup overflowing with length, speed and star power.
Timberwolves Fill Their Biggest Frontcourt Need
Minnesota entered the latter stages of the offseason with an obvious vacancy at power forward. The moves that reshaped the roster and brought Ball to Minnesota also sent out Naz Reid and Julius Randle, stripping away much of the scoring and versatility the Wolves had relied upon at the position.
Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 36 games last season. At 6-foot-8, he can run the floor, pressure the rim and defend multiple positions. Ball’s passing should create easy opportunities in transition and as a cutter, while Edwards’ scoring gravity can open driving lanes.
The fit is not flawless. A frontcourt featuring Kuminga, McDaniels and Gobert could encounter spacing problems. Kuminga’s outside shooting will help determine how high the lineup’s ceiling reaches.
At this price, Minnesota can afford to find out.
The player option gives Kuminga an exit ramp if he rebuilds his value quickly. A strong season beside Edwards and Ball could send him back to free agency with improved production and considerably more leverage.
The Wolves, meanwhile, add a former No. 7 overall pick without sacrificing long-term flexibility.
Minnesota could not match the Lakers dollar for dollar. Instead, Edwards, Connelly and Finch sold Kuminga on something he valued more: their vision for what he could become.
Timberwolves Land Jonathan Kuminga After He Rejects Richer Rival’s Offer