​NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 28: Jonathan Kuminga, wearing #0 for the Atlanta Hawks, dribbles during the second half of Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks emerged victorious with a 126-97 win. The Los Angeles Lakers have moved with unusual speed this offseason, signaling a dramatic overhaul of their roster. The lineup that faced the Houston Rockets in last season’s first-round series is largely erased, and the team’s composition has shifted in a matter of weeks. Following news that LeBron James plans to pursue other opportunities in the 2026-27 season, the Lakers wasted little time in executing a flurry of moves, beginning with a major sign-and-trade deal with the Utah Jazz centered around rising big man Walker Kessler. They have since added several rotational players through free agency, and their next major objective is Jonathan Kuminga, an unrestricted free agent from the Atlanta Hawks who could be in line for a lucrative new contract.
Rumors have intensified that the Lakers are in discussions with Kuminga about a potential agreement, though nothing concrete has materialized yet. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that for Kuminga, the path to a deal with Los Angeles would require accepting a significant salary reduction from his current market value. “The Lakers have had discussions with free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga, sources told ESPN, offering a pathway centered on opportunity rather than the veteran minimum. It’s a model that briefly worked for Malik Monk a few seasons ago, who later signed near the $100 million mark with the Sacramento Kings. But Kuminga has other suitors, and persuading him to take a roughly $20 million cut to join the Lakers won’t be simple,” McMenamin wrote.
Kuminga, 23, joined the Hawks in a midseason trade from the Golden State Warriors, who originally drafted him seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, hoping he would develop into a franchise cornerstone and help bridge the gap to a post-Curry era. Over four and a half seasons with Golden State, Kuminga’s potential has long been viewed as immense, though his relationship with head coach Steve Kerr has at times been strained. The Warriors envisioned him as a dynamic two-way player who could grow into a game-changing talent, a player capable of evolving into a franchise piece as the team transitioned away from its championship core. As Kuminga moved to Atlanta, expectations remained high that he would unlock even more of his playmaking and scoring ability, providing the Hawks with a versatile wing who could contribute on multiple fronts.
In the broader context of the Lakers’ offseason, the franchise has signaled a willingness to shift strategic focus. The sign-and-trade with Utah for Kessler represented a bold bet on a young, developing center who could anchor the defense and provide interior versatility. The front office has also added other pieces through free agency to round out rotation roles, creating a roster that emphasizes speed, length, and floor spacing. The apparent emphasis on Kuminga underscores a larger trend: the Lakers are prioritizing high-upside, two-way wings who can grow within a flexible system, while remaining prepared to adjust expectations and compensation as the market responds.
Kuminga’s journey from Golden State to Atlanta, and now potentially to Los Angeles, highlights the evolving dynamics of the NBA veteran-minimum-versus-sign-and-trade landscape. For Kuminga, the decision will hinge on his evaluation of opportunity, development trajectory, and long-term earning potential. For the Lakers, convincing him to adopt a markedly different financial arrangement would require presenting a compelling vision of his role, a path to significant on-court impact, and a clear plan for how the team intends to maximize his strengths within a competitive championship window.
As the offseason progresses, all eyes will remain on whether Kuminga will become the newest star to don a Lakers uniform, or whether other suitors will outbid the Lakers for his services. The decision will likely shape the next chapter of both Kuminga’s career and Los Angeles’s quest for a sustained championship run.