Kuminga's Lakers Move Hinges on a Sign-and-Trade with Atlanta
The Lakers reportedly offered around $10M a year, but Kuminga's camp wants more — and the Timberwolves have a cleaner path to sign him.
His fantasy ceiling depends entirely on which uniform he lands in.
- Lakers' initial pitch worth ~$10M annually
- Kuminga is 23, an unrestricted free agent
- Lakers need a sign-and-trade with Atlanta
- Wolves can sign via tax mid-level exception
- Training camp opens next month
Jonathan Kuminga's summer standoff is finally winding down, and the two teams left standing are the Lakers and the Timberwolves. Kuminga reportedly prefers Los Angeles, where the sales pitch was a starting spot next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Only catch: getting the 23-year-old forward into purple and gold is a logistical headache.
Even though Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent, LA can't just hand him a contract. The Lakers don't have the cap space to sign him outright, so the only route is a sign-and-trade involving the Atlanta Hawks. Their opening offer was believed to be around $10 million per year — and Kuminga's camp wants more than that.
Why Minnesota Is the Easier Path
Here's the wrinkle that's been quietly reshaping this thing. The Timberwolves can sign Kuminga using their tax mid-level exception, no third team required. That's a far cleaner transaction than the multi-party choreography the Lakers need to pull off. Kuminga's market has been shrinking as other suitors pivot away, which strengthens Minnesota's hand even if his heart is in LA.
For fantasy purposes, the destination matters enormously. A Lakers starting job alongside Doncic — our No. 2 overall player, coming off 57.5 fantasy pts/game in 2025-26 — means feasting on kick-outs and easy looks, but also fighting Doncic and Reaves for touches. Reaves alone put up 23.3 points, 5.5 assists and 38.7 fantasy pts/game last season (2025-26, actual), ranking #39 overall on our board. That's a lot of ball-dominant usage ahead of Kuminga.
Minnesota offers a different equation. Kuminga wouldn't necessarily crack the starting five, but the Wolves' rotation could carve out a cleaner, more defined role than sharing a backcourt with two high-usage guards. Neither situation screams elite fantasy upside for him — but one is a spacing-and-cutting gig and the other is more of a swing-forward job.
The takeaway: don't reach for Kuminga in drafts until his contract and team are locked in. His per-game value swings wildly depending on whether he's the Lakers' No. 4 option or a bigger piece of Minnesota's frontcourt puzzle. Keep him on your watch list, monitor the sign-and-trade chatter with camp opening next month, and be ready to pounce the moment the ink dries. Right now, guessing is just gambling.
