Jonathan Kuminga faces new roadblock that could aid the Lakers

The offseason is inching closer to the end, yet the Jonathan Kuminga situation remains unresolved. The highly coveted forward has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers in sign-and-trade scenarios for quite some time now, and thanks to how the market has shaped up as of late, that nexus has just taken a step forward into being the real deal.

Recent developments around the league have effectively taken some teams out of the running for Kuminga, which of course plays to the Lakers' benefit. The Peyton Watson trade, the DeMar DeRozan signing, and the Klay Thompson acquisition have made the market outlook even clearer.

Kuminga's camp may not indulge in the fact that their options are now basically limited, but if there is one happy camper out there, it is definitely the Lakers front office.

Lakers are a likely landing spot for Jonathan Kuminga

For now, market whispers point to Los Angeles as the strongest bidder to pry Kuminga away from Atlanta. The Minnesota Timberwolves have also been floated around as a potential landing spot after missing out on the vaunted LeBron James bidding war. 

While the Timberwolves pose a considerable threat to the Lakers in this regard, that is only one team that the latter has to beat out for Kuminga, who remains one of the most talented young forwards in the league. The hoopla around L.A., given its revamped core, makes the team a more intriguing fit for him thanks to the prospect of a clearer role awaiting him.

The bigger obstacle for the Lakers in this regard is urging the Hawks not to be too greedy about wanting draft capital in exchange. That was the primary reason why early talks stalled, but now that Kuminga does not have the luxury of having options, Atlanta's perceived leverage has probably been watered down.

The Lakers currently find themselves lagging behind the other powerhouses out West. As such, the prospect of acquiring Kuminga to shore up their thin forward rotation is particularly appealing. And the timing could not get any better for them to land a big fish away as the offseason slowly wanes.