Could Lakers Trade For Former Warriors Lottery Pick Looking For New Home?
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The Los Angeles underwent a massive culture change at the trade deadline as they got significantly younger and brought in some pieces that gave them depth they hadn't seen since the 2023 season.
And it's starting to look like LA is becoming a place where certain players are able to go to help get their career back on the right track and that is saying something. It all started with Malik Monk who established himself as a legit scoring threat last year with the Lakers after the Charlotte Hornets gave up on him.
Then you take a look at this most recent roster that welcomed in Lonnie Walker IV on a one-year, $6 million deal and he went on to play a key role in the first half of their season along with a classic game four against the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs.
Let's also not forget about Rui Hachimura, whom the Washington Wizards all but gave up on and traded to the Lakers in exchange for Kendrick Nunn and a handful of second-round picks. The 25-year-old forward found the perfect scoring role off the bench and changed the energy whenever he checked into postseason games.
So yes, the Lakers have developed a certain reputation over the years as a franchise that isn't the best at developing young talent and only look to bring in big games. However, Phil Handy and the rest of the training staff have done a phenomenal job at implementing these guys into the lineup.
Therefore the big question is: Who will be next on their list?
Jonathan Kuminga is someone that I believe holds all of the tools and athletic attributes to a terror on both ends of the floor. It only takes a couple minutes of game film to see how effortlessly he gets off the ground and he steps up to his defensive assignments every time he's on the court.
But that right there has been his very issue... Kuminga did not see much playing time as the regular season wrapped up and once the Golden State Warriors entered the playoffs.
During his sophomore season in the NBA and second time in the playoffs with the Dubs, Kuminga actually averaged less minutes per game (six) than he did in year one (eight). Considering that Golden State struggled way more than usual, it was easy to see why the high-flyer was upset with his diminished role.
LA is also in their own interesting situation right now after getting swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Making a move for someone like Kuminga could add to their recent stretch of success stories but the package itself might take some work.
He is locked up until 2025, with the 2023 and 2024 seasons being small team options that Golden State will definitely pick up. Bleacher Report's Adam Wells detailed Kuminga's interesting approach to boosting his value this summer.
"Kuminga is attempting to boost his value around the league by participating in several "NBA open runs" this summer, per Jason Dumas of KRON4 News. The Warriors used the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA draft to select Kuminga. They already gave up on the two-track plan at midseason when they traded James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons in a four-team deal on Feb. 9. Outside of shopping someone like Thompson or a sign-and-trade deal involving Green, Kuminga is the last big trade chip Golden State has to play."
(Via Bleacher Report)
However, we know that Rob Pelinka makes magic happen in the trade market and Golden State did not showcase Kuminga enough this year to ask for a ton back in a potential deal.
