It all seems to have fallen into place for the Los Angeles Lakers in their quest to fill out the roster with Jonathan Kuminga, the former Warriors and Hawks wing who has been the subject of L.A. speculation for more than three weeks now. LeBron James is in Philadelphia and rather than filling out their roster with Kuminga–as some speculated they would–the Cavaliers signed forward Mario Hezonja. That severely limited the potential Kuminga suitors.
There’s the Lakers. And if Kuminga wants to play competitive basketball at a good wage next season, that appears to be just about it. Things are not so simple, though. Kuminga’s rights are still held by the Hawks, though they’ve clearly moved on from the notion of re-signing him. But Atlanta could do a sign-and-trade, and that’s where the Lakers’ hope remains.
The Bucks have interest in Kuminga, and are in position to make a deal for him. But Milwaukee will not be all that good next season, and there is some question about how much the Bucks want to tie their fortunes to Kuminga, and vice-versa.
Jonathan Kuminga in a Complicated Situation
That’s because one of the most misunderstood factors in the Kuminga situation is the effect that a sign-and-trade will have on his future. Kuminga must sign a three-year deal in a sign-and-trade, per NBA rules, and that means that he won’t have the option of taking a short-term deal, proving himself in a new location, and getting a fat new contract next summer in free agency. The Lakers tried to give him that option early in the summer (two years, $20 million), but Kuminga passed.
Now, Kuminga has two choices. He could keep waiting on a sign-and-trade, which might lock him into a deal worth about $50 million over three years. Or he could take a cap exception–all or some portion of a midlevel deal, maybe a room exception–as a way to set himself up for next summer. He would need to produce and show he is worth a big deal in that case.
Lakers and Jonathan Kuminga May Not Be Compatible
But increasingly, the Lakers’ roadblocks to a Kuminga signing are looking more formidable.
“When you look at what they can do to get him there, and what he is looking for as far as his career goes, it’s hard to see where something lines up for the Lakers,” one NBA executive said Sunday. “I always thought taking someone’s exception for a year would be the better play for him long-term. That ship sailed with the Lakers. You never say never, but there is not a whole lot there that makes sense for JK or for the Lakers.”
Lakers Don’t Have Trade Options
The short-term deal is preferable for Kuminga, but the Lakers can only give him a veteran minimum deal. Would he go that far down the scale to land in a place that might give him the best chance to rebuild his worth? He would start with the Lakers.
As it stands, the only way the Lakers could give Kuminga a significant contract is by including the contract of Jarred Vanderbilt in a sign-and-trade deal. But Vanderbilt has two years and $26 million on his contract, and given the fact that he has struggled to stay healthy and was drummed out of the Lakers’ rotation even when he was, there just are no takers for Vanderbilt.
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