Lakers tied to prime buyout candidate to pair with Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to keep tabs on Jonathan Kuminga's situation as they look for help in the wing.

However, the days go by, and it's starting to look like their chances of landing the former Golden State Warriors lottery pick are getting slimmer.

There are other financial concerns regarding Kumina, who wants a steep salary despite still being an unproven player with a record of burning bridges with his team.

That's why ESPN's Jorge Sedano encouraged the Lakers to ditch their interest in Kuminga and pivot to Zach LaVine instead.

Zach LaVine could be an interesting candidate for the Lakers to pair with Luka Doncic

“What if Zach LaVine becomes available or they buy him out? Do they buy him out or something?” Sedano said on his show.

Granted, he also acknowledged that there were some injury concerns with LaVine, but given Kuminga's previous history, he doesn't think the former Warriors forward is worth the trouble:

“I know he’s had an injury history; I’d rather take a chance on someone like that — if, which is a big if — than Jonathan Kumina. That’s just my two cents. I just don’t think Jonathan Kuminga is worth the hassle,” Sedano added. “Depending on who you talk to with the Golden State Warriors, they will tell you that Jonathan Kuminga’s level of commitment and maturity to the team was not ideal.”

Of course, this will also depend on whether the Sacramento Kings buy out LaVine. So far, there has been no indication of that.

In fact, LaVine picked up his $49 million player option for next season, the final of the whopping five-year, $212.5 million contract he got with the Chicago Bulls in 2022.

That said, anything and everything can change in the NBA. LaVine made life difficult in Chicago when he wanted out, and even though he wouldn't leave money on the table this offseason, he might reconsider his stance if (when) the Kings struggle again next season. 

Kuminga will most likely get a short-term deal elsewhere, and LaVine certainly makes more sense as a proven commodity at this point in his career, provided he becomes available.