​According to numerous reports, the Los Angeles Lakers sat down with free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga last Tuesday when NBA free agency began and remain engaged in pursuit of the 23-year-old wing. Khobi Price of the California Post noted that Kuminga’s recent team, the Atlanta Hawks, would be open to a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles as part of any potential deal. Yet in the NBA, trades are rarely simple, and the Lakers obviously face a sizable gap at starting two-way forward—someone with both length and athleticism. If Kuminga isn’t secured, the franchise will need credible alternatives, and Price highlighted several possibilities, though the feasibility of these options for the Lakers remains uncertain.
Most of the names listed come with caveats, and the current state of the league’s salary cap and the restrictive nature of the salary structure under the latest collective bargaining agreement make the pool of viable targets rather thin. One option Price mentions is Ziaire Williams, who is coming off a career year with the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers reportedly eyed him after the Nets declined Williams’ $6.3 million team option to pursue unrestricted free agency. Williams is not known for elite 3-point shooting, but at 6-foot-9 and 24 years old, he has a remarkable vertical leap—near 40 inches—and he is regarded as a solid defender, particularly within team defensive schemes. Last season he averaged 10.2 points on 42.5 percent shooting in about 23 minutes per game.
Other unrestricted free agents who could be on Los Angeles’s radar include Bruce Brown, Matisse Thybulle, and Ochai Agbaji. Brown is valued for his defense and his ability to handle the ball and score, and he shot 38.5 percent from three-point range this past season; he was a key contributor for the Denver Nuggets during their 2023 championship run. Thybulle, 29, a seven-year veteran, has long been viewed as a premier 3-and-D wing, though his playing time has dwindled, appearing in only 45 games over the last two seasons. Agbaji still carries 3-and-D potential after four NBA seasons, but he has yet to establish himself as a consistent contributor at the highest level.
Another name that often surfaces in trade chatter is P.J. Washington of the Dallas Mavericks, whom Lakers fans would likely welcome on their roster given his proven defense, rebounding, and credible 3-point shooting. He has previously starred alongside Luka Dončić in Dallas, adding familiarity to a potential fit. However, Price notes that the Lakers may balk at Washington’s hefty contract, particularly the fully guaranteed $88.8 million owed to him over the next four years. Washington is coming off a season in which he averaged about 14.2 points and seven rebounds per game for a Mavericks team that is still in a rebuilding phase. He is due to make $19.8 million next season.
The broader context remains that the Lakers’ foremost objective is to shore up a starting two-way forward who can contribute immediately with athleticism and length. If Kuminga lands elsewhere or a trade isn’t consummated, the club must identify other credible options that can gracefully slot into their system. The current landscape in free agency presents a lean market for the kind of versatile forward the Lakers seek, and any acquisition will likely need to align with the franchise’s broader salary-cap constraints and long-term plans.
This overview reflects reporting from LeBron Wire on potential wing and forward targets for the Lakers beyond Jonathan Kuminga. As free agency unfolds and teams finalize negotiations, more concrete options and clearer pathways to cap compatibility will emerge.