Jonathan Kuminga finds himself in an enviable spot as a free agent, with multiple teams across the NBA lining up for his services. The 6-foot-7 forward has flashed real upside whenever he’s gotten the opportunity, and with his career still in its early stages, there’s good reason to believe more growth is ahead.
Kuminga spent the first four and a half seasons of his career with the Golden State Warriors before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks last February. During his short stint in Atlanta, he had his share of standout moments, headlined by a 27-point debut in a win over the Washington Wizards and a 21-point outing in the Hawks’ Game 3 win over the eventual champion New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.
His run with Atlanta came to an end when the Hawks declined his team option, making him a free agent this offseason.
It’s easy to forget how young the 23-year-old Kuminga still is, given how long he’s already been in the league. Golden State selected him seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft with hopes that he would eventually take over part of Stephen Curry’s scoring load — a vision that never fully materialized.
That potential remains intact. He offers the size and athleticism teams have long coveted at the forward spot, and he already has a championship on his résumé, having won it all with the Warriors as a rookie, when he averaged a modest 5.2 points across 16 playoff appearances that postseason.
Kuminga is averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 50.2 percent shooting across five NBA seasons. His best year came in 2023-24, when he averaged a career-high 16.1 points on 52.9 percent shooting while starting 46 of Golden State’s 74 games. Even in his brief run with Atlanta, he put up 12.3 points a game on 47.6 percent shooting.
The Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as the most serious suitor, but a straightforward free-agent signing looks unlikely given their salary-cap situation, meaning any move would likely have to come through a sign-and-trade. The Lakers’ reported offer sits at $45 million over three years, a number that may not top what he can get elsewhere. What Los Angeles can offer instead is a role built around his strengths: Kuminga projects as a starting forward alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and his blend of size and athleticism should mesh well next to two such elite playmakers.
The Lakers aren’t the only team involved. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers have also been linked to Kuminga, and a return to Atlanta hasn’t been ruled out either. Still, none of the other options appear to match what the Lakers can offer in terms of both immediate role and long-term fit.
Wherever Kuminga lands, the goal for him and whichever franchise signs him will be the same: turning the flashes he’s already shown into a more permanent fixture. At 23, with a title already in hand and the potential to become an All-Star still very much alive, the hope is that the right situation is finally within reach.
