Rob Pelinka is still calling. Jonathan Kuminga is still listening. The Warriors still are not moving.
The Lakers have been the most persistent suitor in the Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade market for weeks, per multiple reports out of both LA and the Bay Area. Pelinka and JJ Redick pitched Kuminga on a starring role next to Luka Doncic in a spread offense that would give the 22-year-old the on-ball reps Golden State never really trusted him with.
The problem is the money and the return. The Lakers can offer roughly two years and $20 million after using most of their cap flexibility on Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili. That is not close to the ballpark Kuminga’s camp is targeting. He wants something in the $45 million range and a longer term.
To get that number, LA would need to loop in a third team. The current framework has the Lakers sending Jarred Vanderbilt plus draft capital to a facilitator, which then sends salary back to Golden State. That is a lot of moving parts for a package the Warriors have already told everyone falls short.
Golden State’s stance has been consistent all summer. Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office are holding the line: no sign-and-trade unless the return actually addresses roster needs. That means a real rotation player, not just picks and salary filler. The Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers have entered the mix in recent weeks, which only strengthens the Warriors’ leverage.
Kuminga’s camp knows the calendar matters. Restricted free agency is a brutal market for players in his tier, and every day that passes without a deal is a day closer to accepting Golden State’s qualifying offer. Take the QO and he plays out one season for around $8 million, then hits unrestricted free agency in 2027. That is a legitimate option and probably the one that scares Golden State the most.
The Lakers know they cannot outbid the market on their own. What they can offer is the pitch: play alongside Luka Doncic in a system built for a young athletic wing, in the media capital where 25 points can look like 35 in the perception game. For Kuminga, whose stock has never quite matched his tools, that pitch is compelling.
But pitches do not close deals. Money does. And until someone finds a package Golden State likes, Kuminga stays in limbo. Expect resolution one way or the other by mid-September. The Warriors will not let this drag into October and neither will Kuminga’s agent.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
