Jonathan Kuminga gets bad news about potential Lakers move

Not so long ago, scouts projected Jonathan Kuminga as one of the most promising young players in the game.

His days in the Bay Area were stained by frustration and DNP-CDs, and he has yet to live up to his potential, but he's still young and far from his prime.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to give up much to get him in a potential sign-and-trade. Finances and Kuminga's contract aspirations might force the team to negotiate with the Atlanta Hawks to acquire the former lottery pick.

That's why the Lakers have hit pause on their alleged interest in Kuminga, according to The Athletic's Dan Woike.

Lakers' interest in Jonathan Kuminga has stalled

"The Athletic has reported on the Lakers’ interest in free agent Jonathan Kuminga since late June, but it appears that momentum has stalled with the sides far apart on terms and L.A. not overly motivated to push significant draft capital into sign-and-trade scenarios," Woike wrote. 

Even so, Woike added that the Lakers could circle back on him if his market remains tepid. 

Moreover, he also named the Cleveland Cavaliers as the other team keeping tabs on Kuminga.

As things stand now, the entire market appears to be in a standstill. Everyone is waiting to see where LeBron James lands, and things might get a little crazy after his decision.

Kuminga is a good and intriguing player with strong upside as a two-way star, but given how he's struggled to take the next step in his development, it makes perfect sense that the Lakers are being cautious about potentially giving up too much to get him.