​Cavaliers predicted to outbid Lakers for disgruntled $46M former Warriors NBA champion originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The Los Angeles Lakers have already crafted a strong offseason with several key acquisitions, yet their work is far from finished. One of the franchise’s primary goals was to re-sign Austin Reaves to a maximum contract, and they achieved that objective. Now, the Lakers are eyeing the ideal replacement for LeBron James on the wing, with ongoing chatter suggesting mutual interest between Jonathan Kuminga and Los Angeles. NBA reporter Evan Sidery noted, “There is mutual free agent interest between Jonathan Kuminga and the Lakers. Los Angeles continues to work behind the scenes to secure Kuminga’s commitment as their new wing addition.” Nevertheless, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not going to let the Lakers land Kuminga without a fight. Cleveland has emerged as the other team to watch in what has become a two-horse race. Silver Screen and Roll’s Jacob Rude observed, “The Lakers aren’t really in a position where they need to move quickly anymore. At this point, the team will have to do a sign-and-trade for Kuminga or any other player they acquire, so there isn’t necessarily a rush. The Cavs have been heavily linked to Kuminga throughout free agency as well, so there is some rationale as to why he would wait.” The Cavaliers also seek an athletic wing capable of elevating the team to the next level. Sports Illustrated’s Mark Morales-Smith believes Kuminga could ultimately choose Cleveland over Los Angeles. He wrote, “Cleveland is another potential landing spot for Kuminga. If they don’t land LeBron James, they will be in the market for another forward in a potential sign-and-trade. He would be a good fit playing alongside playmakers like James Harden and Donovan Mitchell. This is another scenario where he could slot in as a high-end role player rather than a star. The rest of the roster is better in Cleveland than it is in Los Angeles, which could cut into his production a bit.” The Cavaliers are intent on continuing to build around Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, with their top priority appearing to be landing LeBron James, but Kuminga would provide an excellent fallback option if they cannot bring the four-time NBA champion to Cleveland. Kuminga was on a $46 million deal with the Atlanta Hawks last season before the team declined his option this summer. If the Cavaliers miss out on James, they would likely be thrilled to land Kuminga instead. The Lakers, meanwhile, would be disappointed to lose out on one of their principal offseason targets.