Insider on possible hold-up on Lakers, Jonathan Kuminga deal
· Yahoo Sports
There have been multiple reports about the Los Angeles Lakers' pursuit of forward Jonathan Kuminga and why a sign-and-trade deal hasn't been worked out yet. It is thought that the Atlanta Hawks don't want what the Lakers are offering in return, or that Kuminga wants more money than the Lakers are willing to pay him, or a combination thereof.
Per NBA rules, a player acquired in a sign-and-trade deal must get a three-year contract. It has been reported that Kuminga wants somewhere in the area of $20 million a year and possibly $25 million a year, which would be a steep price for someone like him who is 23 years of age and very athletic but has multiple red flags.
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According to NBA insider Keith Smith, if Kuminga won't get the annual salary he wants, he'd rather sign a one-year contract than lock himself into a multi-year deal (h/t Heavy Sports).
“The challenge with Kuminga is that if he’s gonna take less money than what he wants, then he only wants to do it for a year,” said Smith. “He doesn’t want to do a three-year deal, and in order to do a sign-and-trade, he would have to have a three-year contract. That gets him stuck a little bit. He doesn’t want to be on a smaller contract that devalues himself.”
The Lakers have no salary cap space, so the only contract they could offer Kuminga should they not do a sign-and-trade deal would be a veteran minimum contract. They also currently have 16 players, which means that if they were to sign Kuminga outright, they would have to shed two players by the start of the regular season.
Smith said that Atlanta is willing to take Jarred Vanderbilt and draft compensation from L.A., which would likely mean that the ball is in Kuminga's court.
“For the Hawks, they are ready to go for something centered around Jarred Vanderbilt and outgoing draft capital,” Smith added. “It sounds like it’s on Kuminga’s side, where he wants a little bit more money.”
The concerns with Kuminga have to do with his attitude, mindset and focus, which have rendered him an inconsistent defender, and he has usually been a lacking 3-point shooter in his five NBA seasons. But his natural ability and potential are unmistakable, and perhaps the Lakers think they can unlock the best version of him.
But there are other teams interested in Kuminga, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, who just missed out on LeBron James. The Cavaliers reportedly have more attractive trade assets than Los Angeles does, and they also have their taxpayer mid-level exception of roughly $6 million, which they could use to sign him outright without giving up assets.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider on possible hold-up on Lakers, Jonathan Kuminga deal