From the moment the Hawks declined their team option for Jonathan Kuminga, he was linked to the Lakers.
LA lacks forwards with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura gone, making Kuminga a great option at the wing position.
There were rumors the Hawks were open to a sign-and-trade and reports the Lakers offered Kuminga a two-year, $20 million contract, but nothing got done.
Kuminga remains an unrestricted free agent, and the Lakers continue to search for their future wing. With reports that talks regarding Kuminga stalled, the Lakers added other players.
They reportedly signed Matisse Thybulle and officially brought in Ziaire Williams.
However, just because they’ve added other players and have a full roster doesn’t mean Kuminga is no longer a possibility for the Lakers.
On a segment during Thursday’s episode of “NBA Today,” reporter Anthony Slater stated that the Lakers keep calling about Kuminga.
“I can tell you that they keep calling Jonathan Kuminga. And again, obviously they have not made a lucrative enough offer for Kuminga to jump. But part of their pitch has been, ‘Hey, you can come start here potentially.’
“And that says two things to me. Number one, it says the Lakers still don’t want to be done making moves. And they believe they’re a little weak on the wing position. Which, I think [Matisse] Thybulle will help. I think Ziaire Williams will help, but they could use some more juice on the wing, and maybe they get Kuminga done. Maybe they don’t. I think the LeBron domino affects Kuminga and what he may or may not be able to get. But, again, all I can tell you is Rob Pelinka keeps calling about Jonathan Kuminga”
This late into free agency, there is no reason for Kuminga to rush. A few teams are waiting for LeBron’s decision, and likely, once that is finalized, he can see how much money other teams have and sign where he thinks works best for him.
The Lakers’ offer of a potential starting spot and the attention LA always gets provide an alluring option for Kuminga. But clearly, that alone hasn’t been enough for him to sign.
Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka is doing the right thing here. Kuminga would be a great wing for the Lakers, and until he signs with a team, it doesn’t hurt to keep reaching out and trying to get a deal done.
If Kuminga signs elsewhere, the Lakers won’t be stuck with nothing.
They have wing options like Thybulle, Williams and even Adou Thiero they can rely on. And if he does join the purple and gold, this will be a notch on Pelinka’s belt. It’ll be an example of how a franchise can keep communication open with one of the best unrestricted free agents on the market and ultimately come to an agreement.
So, until Kuminga is officially off the table, the Lakers appear to remain interested and willing to keep hitting up his agent’s line.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
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