The Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to upgrade their roster ahead of the new season, but their attempts to add one player are being met with resistance.
The Lakers remain interested in Jonathan Kuminga, but attempts to work out a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks have “stalled,” according to Dan Woike of The Athletic. The Lakers still have interest in Kuminga, but are unwilling to commit significant draft capital to any sign-and-trade move.
Kuminga and the Lakers have been strongly linked to each other for much of the offseason, with some reports making it sound like a deal was inevitable. That is clearly not the case, though it seems to have more to do with the Hawks’ asking price than Kuminga’s.
One thing working in the Lakers’ favor is that Kuminga does not appear to have a huge market elsewhere. The Cleveland Cavaliers are thought to be interested, but have not made any moves to land him just yet.
Kuminga, the 23-year-old forward, is an unrestricted free agent this offseason after getting his $24.3 million team option declined by the Hawks earlier this month. A versatile 6-foot-7 scorer and rebounder, Kuminga still has some untapped potential but only averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Hawks last season. His salary demands have also not quite been in line with what the Lakers have been willing to offer.
