Jonathan Kuminga is available. Nobody is willing to meet his price.
The 23-year-old forward, now an unrestricted free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option this summer, wants approximately $25 million per year on his next contract, sources told Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports. Three franchises have entered the race – the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks – but all three talks have stalled.
The Lakers moved first. They offered Kuminga a two-year deal worth $20 million in total – roughly $10 million per season, a number so far below Kuminga’s asking price that it barely registered as a starting point. That offer was pulled after Los Angeles signed guard Collin Sexton, which tightened the team’s cap picture and reduced urgency on the Kuminga front.
Sign-and-trade math makes every offer harder
There’s a structural problem beneath the negotiating gap. Because Kuminga was on Atlanta’s roster when the Hawks declined his option, any agreement requires a sign-and-trade under NBA rules – meaning the deal must be at least three years. A three-year contract at $25 million per year totals $75 million. Teams in the second apron, like the Lakers, face significant restrictions on that kind of deal.
A $45 million sign-and-trade framework has been floated in discussions, per Yahoo Sports, but no party has committed. The Cavaliers and Bucks remain engaged without making a formal offer that closes the gap.
What Kuminga brings – and what holds him back
Kuminga’s appeal is real. He’s a switchable, physically imposing wing who can score off the dribble and finish at the rim. In two seasons with Golden State, he averaged 14.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game before the Warriors traded him – along with Buddy Hield – to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis at the February deadline. In Atlanta, the Hawks saw enough to want more, but not enough to pay $24 million for it.
His camp believes the right offer is out there. Three weeks into free agency’s second phase, though, the market hasn’t moved in his direction. Every day that passes narrows his leverage.
Bottom line
Three teams in, no frontrunner. The asking price and the best offer remain nearly $15 million per year apart. A sign-and-trade structure complicates every path forward. If no deal emerges by mid-August, Kuminga may have to recalibrate – or wait for next summer as an unrestricted free agent with a full market.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports (sign-and-trade).
