The Los Angeles Lakers want Jonathan Kuminga but only at a very specific price point.
The Lakers have offered the free agent forward Kuminga a two-year, $20 million contract, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported this week. Fischer adds though that Kuminga is looking for a contract more in the range of $25 million per year instead.
Kuminga, 23, is a former No. 7 overall draft pick. He spent the first four-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors and was a member of their championship team in 2022 back when he was a rookie.
After being stuck in a frustratingly limited role with the Warriors, Kuminga got traded to the Atlanta Hawks last February. He did little with his newfound opportunity in Atlanta though, averaging 12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game over just 16 total appearances.
The Hawks then proceeded to decline Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option for next season, sparking plenty of jokes over social media. Kuminga has been drawing interest from the Lakers and some other notable teams since then but still remains an unsigned free agent.
The Lakers have a real need at the power forward spot, especially with LeBron James and Rui Hachimura departing from their team this offseason. But after already signing Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, and others, the Lakers are only willing to give a modest free agent contract to Kuminga (though they could also try to swing a sign-and-trade involving one current player on their roster).
