Ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga is Cavs, Bucks' second option behind Peyton Watson

Ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga is Cavs, Bucks’ second option behind Peyton Watson originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The NBA offseason is still underway, but it was stalled for nearly a month as the entire basketball world waited for LeBron James to make his decision. Once James made his choice, the expectation was that Jonathan Kuminga would finally land a new deal.

However, that has not come close to happening, even with the former NBA champion drawing interest from multiple teams.

“The Lakers remain interested in him, league sources said, but movement toward a deal has remained stalled for weeks. That has left others still calling about Kuminga’s availability on shorter-term deals that would get him back to free agency quicker. Two suitors — the Cavaliers and Timberwolves — have appealing cases because of their need for a wing in a contending environment,” ESPN wrote.

At one point, the Cleveland Cavaliers were viewed as the favorites to land Kuminga. Now, however, they appear to be pursuing another NBA champion and have moved on from Kuminga as their top target.

“The Cavaliers appear to be prioritizing Peyton Watson now over Jonathan Kuminga as their Plan B wing option after missing out on LeBron James. Cleveland would offer Max Strus or Dennis Schröder alongside a future swap. The Nuggets remain in a serious bind due to apron issues,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.

However, the Cavaliers are not the only team treating Kuminga as a backup option. The Milwaukee Bucks also appear to be prioritizing Watson.

“I also wonder if he’s kind of in the Peyton Watson limbo at the moment where Peyton Watson is higher in the hierarchy than he is. And these teams like Cleveland and Milwaukee are trying to figure out: ‘Hey, do we want Peyton Watson or not?’ And they’re waiting to see if they get Peyton Watson, and if not, maybe Cleveland goes for Jonathan Kuminga in a sign-and-trade of sorts,” Sam Vecenie of The Game Theory Podcast said.

For Kuminga and his camp, this should serve as a warning about how difficult the negotiating process has become. The Cavaliers and Bucks appear to view Watson as a more attainable option, which has resulted in both teams shifting much of their attention toward the Nuggets forward.

In the span of a month, Kuminga has gone from being a primary target for multiple teams to potentially becoming a fallback option. Meanwhile, Watson also remains unsigned, but his situation is different. Watson wants to play basketball but has yet to receive the contract he believes he deserves from Denver.

Kuminga, on the other hand, has opportunities to land a lucrative contract, but his asking price and the demands of his camp have made negotiations increasingly complicated. What once looked like a straightforward path to a new deal has turned into a waiting game, with teams now seemingly willing to move on to Watson before considering Kuminga again.

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