Lakers’ 4 Fallback Wing Targets if Jonathan Kuminga Trade Falls Through

The Los Angeles Lakers have already made several moves during this NBA offseason, including multiple trades, free agent signings and agreeing to terms with Austin Reaves to a lucrative long-term deal.

Although the bulk of the Lakers’ moves have already been made, the team has one more priority to address as the NBA Summer League gets underway in Las Vegas.

Lakers’ Options if Unable to Land Jonathan Kuminga

As of right now, the Lakers’ top priority seems to be trying to pull off a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks to bring in Jonathan Kuminga.

There’s mutual interest between Kuminga and the Lakers, and the Hawks are open to a deal, but Kuminga’s contract demands could be a problem that ends Los Angeles' pursuit.

If a Kuminga trade falls apart, the Lakers will have to pivot to other options to bring in a wing, according to Khobi Price of The California Post.

Ziaire Williams, who’s coming off a career-year with the Nets, is a player the Lakers eyed after the Nets declined Williams’ $6.3 million team option to make him an unrestricted free agent.

Bruce Brown, Matisse Thybulle and Ochai Agbaji are other unrestricted free agents still available.

Fortunately, the Lakers might have some intriguing backup plan options, and here's a breakdown of each player.

Ziaire Williams

The Brooklyn Nets recently declined Ziaire Williams’ $6.3 million team option for next season, making him a free agent. The same thing happened with Kuminga and the Hawks, but a much higher number ($24.3 million).

The Los Angeles native might be the Lakers’ first call if the Kuminga trade doesn’t come to fruition. He’s a player who could have a similar impact compared to Kuminga, with his athleticism, length, size, and defensive upside.

Williams averaged a career-high 10.2 points to go along with 2.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists per game during the 2025-26 campaign. He shot 42.5 percent from the floor and a career-high 34.4 percent from deep.

Bruce Brown

Although he’s not the same player he was when he won an NBA title playing alongside Nikola Jokic with the Denver Nuggets, Bruce Brown isn’t a bad option for the Lakers. He doesn’t bring the size that Kuminga or Williams do, but Brown has championship experience, along with being a decent rebounder and defender, and can be another reliable ballhandler off the bench.

Brown played in all 82 regular-season games with the Nuggets last season, averaging 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three-point range.

Matisse Thybulle

One of the most intriguing Kuminga fallback options is the defensive-minded Matisse Thybulle.

Of course, Thybulle comes with injury concerns, as he’s played in only 45 regular-season games over the past two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

However, when healthy, the 29-year-old wing can be a game-changer defensively. He’s easily the best defender on this list of options for the Lakers, but not much of an offensive threat with a career average of 5.0 points per game.

He has improved his three-point shooting over the years, shooting 39.8 percent from deep in 30 games last season. That could improve even more playing alongside Luka Doncic.

Ochai Agbaji

Lastly, there’s Ochai Agbaji, who played with Williams on the Nets last season. He’s bounced around the league a bit during his four-year career, playing for the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn.

Much like Brown, he’s on the shorter side and is more of a guard, but he can defend and doesn’t need the ball to make an impact.

Agbaji was having a solid 2025-26 campaign before getting traded to the Nets, as he was averaging career-high numbers across the board, with 10.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game, while shooting 49.8 percent from the floor and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Who is the Best Fallback Option for the Lakers?

If the Lakers want a player most like Kuminga, Williams is likely the answer, which might tilt the scales in his favor if the team is enamored with what they believe Kuminga’s skill set brings to the table next season.

Brown might be the safe option due to his experience and ability to play in any role asked of him. He’d be a valuable addition off the bench and might thrive with Doncic leading the way.

Agbaji isn’t the best option, but he could develop into a decent role player with another change of scenery.

Despite the injury concerns, Thybulle might be the best choice of the bunch. He’s the ideal 3-and-D wing if his three-point shooting continues to trend up.

There’s a chance he turns into another Jarred Vanderbilt, where he’s solid defensively, but a liability with his shooting. But he’s a better shooter than Vanderbilt and is worth the risk if landing Kuminga is no longer an option.

Best Option: Matisse Thybulle

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