NBA Insiders Hint Why Jonathan Kuminga Rejected The Lakers

Jonathan Kuminga passed on significantly more guaranteed money from the Los Angeles Lakers for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon linked his decision largely to betting on himself.

Kuminga agreed to a two-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves that includes a player option for the second year, giving him an opportunity to re-enter free agency after just one season. The Lakers, meanwhile, offered him a deal worth more than $12 million yearly over three years and planned to make him their starting power forward.

On The Hoop Collective podcast, MacMahon and Windhorst explained why Kuminga was willing to sacrifice guaranteed money.

Brian Windhorst: “So they’re, you know, they’re taking a little bit of a bite on that to create some more money for Kuminga. But look, let’s just be honest. Kuminga has been hoping for a couple of years that he could land a big contract, and it just hasn’t happened. And we’ve gone over it. We’ve had his agent on. It’s been a frustrating time for him.”

Tim MacMahon: “Been a frustrating time for you.”

Brian Windhorst: “Well, I just—my whole thing was, I—you know how I feel.”

Tim MacMahon: “You feel there’s been too much spotlight on a guy who’s not yet proven that he’s a starting-caliber player in the NBA.”

Brian Windhorst: “Correct. And I wish him all the best. And I think if you look at the way the contracts went the last two years, I was not alone in thinking that.”

Tim MacMahon: “Sure. But he made $20 million last year, and he’ll make six and change—six and change. He’ll make about $27 million over two years, which is about mid-level money, a little bit—a hair less. And he turned down a three-year deal from the Lakers, according to Shams. It would have been about 12 per. And apparently, the Lakers were recruiting him to be their starting power forward.”

“Now, what he’s saying is, ‘I would rather have one year at six-ish than three at 36,’ because he thinks he’s going to make clearly more than mid-level money coming off of this deal.”

Brian Windhorst: “Right. The Lakers were interested in bringing him in via sign-and-trade. And all sign-and-trades have to be, uh, at least for three years, I believe. And they don’t have to be guaranteed for three years. They have to be for three years. And so Kuminga didn’t want to be in a three-year deal.”

“So this is one of those things where, yeah, he turned down more money, but he turned down more money, understandably, because even though he’d make more this year, he would want to set himself up. And so he’s betting on himself.”

“Listen, we praise guys like Fred VanVleet for betting on themselves. He’s betting on himself. And more importantly than the Kuminga story, it’s more of a story of the overall, uh, situation.”

The financial difference was pretty significant. Kuminga is set to make approximately $6 million next season with the Timberwolves, but the structure of his contract gives him something the Lakers couldn’t offer: an immediate opportunity to control his future.

Windhorst noted that the Lakers were attempting to offer Kuminga a two-year sign-and-trade deal. Under NBA rules, a sign-and-trade contract must be for at least three seasons, which became a very big obstacle.

And that provides a very clear explanation for why Kuminga rejected the Los Angeles Lakers, despite them offering more money and a starting opportunity.

Kuminga has spent the past few years searching for a big long-term contract. Windhorst described this process as a frustrating time for the 23-year-old, whose inconsistent role and production have generated considerable debate over his true value.

Rather than lock himself in for three seasons at mid-level money, Kuminga effectively bet on one strong year completely changing that.

The Timberwolves offer him an attractive opportunity to do exactly that. Kuminga is expected to start next to Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert on a team with championship hopes.

The Timberwolves also actively recruited him, with Edwards participating in the process and President Tim Connelly reportedly traveling to Miami for an in-person meeting.

Kuminga’s decision consequently appears to be less about rejecting the Lakers themselves and more about rejecting the contract structure that was required to get him there.

The Lakers were prepared to give him a starting role and considerably greater financial security for three years at approximately $36 million, but that could have prevented him from returning to the market when his value could be much higher.

In Minnesota, Kuminga can attempt to prove that he’s more than a mid-level player and opt out next summer to go after the major contract that has eluded him.

The Lakers are now left searching for another starting-caliber wing, with their lack of cap flexibility making that difficult. They sit close to the first apron and can primarily pursue low-cost options unless they make another trade.

For Kuminga, however, the calculation is simple: less guaranteed money now in exchange for a chance at significantly more later.

It is a very big gamble, but as Windhorst noted, players have always been praised for making the same kind of bet.