As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to build their roster, their attempt at landing Jonathan Kuminga has seen them adopt a new approach.
Kuminga has been a rumoured sign-and-trade target for the Lakers, amid his holdout with the Atlanta Hawks, who have refused to meet his salary demands for a new contract.
The Lakers consider Kuminga to be a coveted prospect and believe they can get the NBA championship-winning wing on board with a specific pitch.
LA Lakers could entice Jonathan Kuminga with a high-paying contract in 2027
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Jonathan Kuminga has offers from both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and favours joining the former over the latter.
Fischer suggested that Kuminga is leaning towards joining the Lakers, partly because the team are hoping to entice him with a big payday in 2027, after a year of playing alongside Luka Doncic.
“Comes down to Minnesota or Los Angeles,” Fischer said. “Kuminga, I think, has seemed to prefer going to the Lakers. They have the most opportunity to negotiate there. …
“That’s going to come to some type of conclusion here soon. I thought it could have happened last week, but I still have been told nothing to suggest that Kuminga’s situation is not coming down to the Lakers or the Timberwolves.”
During the stream, Fischer also suggested that the Lakers plan to entice Kuminga by offering him a one-year minimum contract and the chance to play with Luka Doncic, and rewarding him financially the following year when they have more salary cap space.
If this is the pitch the Lakers have made, it is certainly a strong one. While one might think asking Kuminga to take the minimum for a sign-and-trade isn’t a valuable prospect, it is their future promise that will have the former Warriors star ready to join.
Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA, but is also a bona fide ceiling-raiser, as he has elevated several players around him from an offensive standpoint.
Players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, and PJ Washington saw their numbers and overall impact on the game improve massively after playing with Doncic.
And given how talented Kuminga is, he could benefit massively from playing alongside Doncic, who is one of the best point guards in the NBA.
Furthermore, the opportunity to return to California, where he spent a little over four years with the Warriors, would presumably be an attractive prospect as well.
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