The Lakers still want Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors still cannot figure out what to do with him. Somewhere in that gap is a resolution that has been dragging on for months, and the latest update suggests it will drag on a little longer.
According to reporting this week, Los Angeles remains engaged with Golden State on the framework of a Kuminga move, but the sides are not close. The Lakers had a two-year offer on the table earlier this summer that reportedly stalled, and the Timberwolves emerged as a suitor in July before quieting down.
The complication is straightforward. Kuminga is a restricted free agent. Golden State can match anything. Golden State does not really want to match anything. But Golden State also does not want to lose Kuminga for nothing, and the sign-and-trade dance is dependent on the Warriors and Lakers agreeing on value, which they clearly do not.
The Lakers just added Walker Kessler in a blockbuster with Utah. That deal changed their frontcourt calculus. They no longer need Kuminga as a small-ball five. What they need him for is exactly what Golden State drafted him to be: a young, athletic wing who can defend multiple positions and give Los Angeles some legs on the perimeter next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Kuminga fits the LeBron era Lakers about as neatly as any young player available. He is exactly the kind of player they should be trying to add. The problem is he is also exactly the kind of player Golden State understands the value of, and their opening ask is high enough to make a deal painful.
Kuminga’s camp has been quiet, which is telling. Usually in these stalemates the player’s side leaks frustration to move the market. That has not happened here, which suggests he is fine either continuing the negotiation with the Warriors or waiting until his qualifying offer plays out.
The wildcard is time. Training camp is a few weeks away. Both sides usually get more flexible when players actually need to be in gyms with their teams. Golden State knows they cannot start the season with an unresolved Kuminga situation hanging over the roster. Los Angeles knows the same.
The most likely outcome is still a modest sign-and-trade in the next two weeks, something that lands Kuminga in purple and gold and sends a young player plus a pick to the Warriors. The alternative is Kuminga signing his qualifying offer and hitting free agency next summer, which is a scenario neither team wants to bet on.
Watch this space. This one moves quickly when it finally moves.
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.
