Ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga gets $45 million Lakers sign-and-trade update
· Yahoo Sports
Ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga gets $45 million Lakers sign-and-trade update originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster is nearly complete.
After adding Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Zhaire Williams, Collin Sexton, and Matisse Thybulle, Los Angeles has a far stronger supporting cast for Luka Doncic than they did to begin the offseason.
Still, fans should expect the franchise to make another roster move to ensure they meet the 15-man roster requirement. With the Lakers still being linked to Jonathan Kuminga despite signing Thybulle Monday, it makes sense to view him as a contributor who could be the last piece to the puzzle for Los Angeles.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, offering the former Golden State Warriors NBA champion a $45 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade isn’t an unrealistic possibility.
“I’ve heard that he's been looking for closer to $20 million AAV. It doesn't have to be exactly $20 million, but closer to that, north of $15 million,” Buha said on the Herd Monday.
"So I think there's a gap right there between the two sides in terms of what a contract would look like over three years. If they could find some sort of middle ground, maybe it's three years, $45 million. That's $15 million a year."
"It's not quite what he wants. It's more than the Lakers want to pay him. Maybe that's a middle ground. But I think the Lakers are in a prime position to add him if they are willing to give up the draft capital to meet whatever Atlanta (Hawks) is asking for. I think that part is realistic."
It appears that a Lakers-Kuminga pairing isn’t the sure thing many believed it was a few weeks ago. While the Hawks are clearly interested in executing a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles, the two parties have yet to reach an agreement that would be beneficial.
The Lakers aren’t without competition, too, as the Milwaukee Bucks are the newest team to enter the Kuminga sweepstakes, per a report from NBA reporter Evan Sidery (the Cleveland Cavaliers are also monitoring his situation).
The explosive 23-year-old wing would be a solid long-term investment for the Lakers, but there’s a chance they could enter the 2026-27 season without him on board.
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