Jonathan Kuminga reportedly choosing between Lakers and Timberwolves

Jonathan Kuminga, who is almost certainly the most notable remaining NBA free agent after Bennedict Mathurin came off the market, is reportedly choosing between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Wolves have been rumored as a potential Kuminga suitor for a while now. It makes sense, given their need at the forward spot and the ability to sell him on playing a major role on a contending team.

The obvious issue with Minnesota’s pitch is that the Wolves don’t have the space to offer Kuminga more than a veteran’s minimum contract ($2.4 million) right now because they’re hard-capped at the second apron. They technically have the $6 million taxpayer midlevel exception available, but they can’t even use that on Kuminga without first shedding salary.

The Lakers have a bit more room, with about $8 million in space under the first apron, where they are hard-capped. They could offer Kuminga even more via a sign-and-trade with his most recent team, the Hawks. According to insider Jake Fischer, Kuminga prefers Los Angeles over Minnesota.

“I still think his situation comes down to Minnesota or Los Angeles,” Fischer said on a Bleacher Report live stream Tuesday. “Kuminga, I think, has seemed to prefer going to the Lakers. They’ve had the most opportunity to negotiate there. Minnesota is just limited to signing Kuminga to the taxpayer midlevel.

“He would walk into a starting job, I think, in both situations. Minnesota’s thin at the forward spot. The Lakers have been selling him on this vision of having him start next to Luka (Doncic), they’re gonna have the spending power, in theory, to reward him next year if all goes to plan. That’s gonna come to some type of conclusion here soon. I thought it could’ve happened last week. But I still have been told nothing to suggest that Kuminga’s situation is not coming down to the Lakers or the Timberwolves.”

Fischer did note on Wednesday that the Chicago Bulls are also involved with Kuminga to “a real degree.”

Kuminga, 23, is an athletic 6’7″ wing drafted seventh overall by the Warriors in 2021. He’s averaged 12.5 points per game in his five seasons, shooting 50 percent from the field. He put up 16 a night in 2023-24 with Golden State and has career per-36-minute averages of 20 points and 7 rebounds.

It would be quite the coup for the Wolves if they can land Kuminga as the final piece in their starting lineup alongside LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert. But until proven otherwise, it still seems relatively unlikely.

Kuminga’s most recent contract was for $46 million over two years. Right now, the Wolves can only offer him the minimum. And even if they were to do something like move off of Josh Green’s contract, they still wouldn’t have more than the $6 million taxpayer MLE available. So the pitch to Kuminga has to be almost entirely about basketball fit and the opportunity to potentially have a great season and get paid next summer.

The Lakers aren’t as talented as the Wolves, but they’re the Lakers, they have Luka Doncic, and they can probably offer Kuminga more money. That’s why it seems like the most likely outcome is that he ends up in LA.