Kuminga Likely Chooses Lakers or Wolves
NBA insider Jake Fischer says Jonathan Kuminga will decide between a $10MM+ starting salary with the Lakers or a veteran’s minimum with the Timberwolves, depending on a sign-and-trade with the Hawks and a three-season deal.
Jonathan Kuminga is weighing a $10MM+ starting salary with the Lakers or a veteran’s minimum with the Timberwolves. NBA insider Jake Fischer said the decision will hinge on a sign-and-trade with the Hawks and a three-season deal.
Kuminga's Salary Options
Fischer explained that a starting spot is on the table with either team. The Lakers can offer a $10MM+ starting salary, while Minnesota would likely be limited to a veteran’s minimum or something close to it, barring cost-cutting moves. Los Angeles would need a sign-and-trade agreement to offer more than the minimum.
This introduces two complicating factors: finding a trade framework that works for the Hawks, and reaching an agreement with the former seventh overall pick on a deal that must cover at least three seasons. Fischer also noted that Chicago’s Bulls could be a factor. The Bulls’ best offer without a sign-and-trade would likely be the full room exception, which starts at $9.4MM.
The latest standings show the Lakers and Wolves in positions that could influence their willingness to negotiate.
Other Free-Agent Movements
Fischer added that the Sixers were viewed as a potential suitor for Bruce Brown if they hadn’t landed LeBron James, and the Rockets had interest earlier in the offseason. Those teams are no longer in the mix for Brown, and a return to the Nuggets is not in play. Fischer expects the 30-year-old to ultimately land with a “playoff-caliber” team.
The Lakers are one suitor to watch, despite already having 16 players on fully guaranteed contracts.
Regarding the Heat, Fischer predicts free-agent center Nick Richards will likely sign with the team after their Klay Thompson addition. He also noted that Nikola Jovic’s four-year, $62.4MM contract is viewed as a “negative asset” around the NBA, and Bobby Portis’s two-year, $30.1MM deal is considered “even more of a negative.”
Fischer also checked in on the Jalen Duren situation in Detroit, stating that the Pistons will eventually work out a long-term deal and mend fences with their restricted free-agent center after a protracted negotiation period. He explored Nikola Jokic’s situation in Denver, noting that rival teams will keep a close eye on the Nuggets and their three-time MVP. Jokic has indicated he plans to sign a long-term extension with the team next summer, but he will also be eligible for unrestricted free agency at that time, so teams monitoring the big man will be rooting for the Nuggets to underachieve again in 2026/27 and make him second-guess those plans.
Contract Landscape | Player | Team | Contract | Years | |---|---|---|---| | Nikola Jovic | Rockets | $62.4MM | 4 | | Bobby Portis | Bulls | $30.1MM | 2 |
The squad of the Lakers and the stats of the Wolves will be closely watched as the trade talks progress.
Source: Hoops Rumors