Lakers May Not Be Done Yet as Jonathan Kuminga Rumor Surfaces

The bulk of the work during this NBA offseason is already done for the Los Angeles Lakers, with the storied franchise putting in the work after acquiring star center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade earlier this week.

The Lakers wasted no time in getting to work after acquiring Kessler, as they quickly agreed to deals with free agents Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton while also already having agreed to terms with Austin Reaves on a lucrative long-term deal.

Although the team’s big moves have been taken care of, the Lakers might not be done, with the team potentially targeting a notable name in free agency.

Lakers in Pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers might be trying to figure out how to sign Jonathan Kuminga, even though they have some financial constraints after agreeing to all the other deals this week.

The Lakers obviously face financial constraints but league sources say they continue to explore the feasibility of adding Jonathan Kuminga to fill a wing need.

Cleveland and Milwaukee have also expressed Kuminga interest and a return to Atlanta has not been ruled out. pic.twitter.com/at1Q99RgCb
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2026

Los Angeles could use another wing, especially if they can’t re-sign sharpshooting forward Rui Hachimura, which is looking highly unlikely. Hachimura has spent the last three and a half seasons with the Lakers after being acquired in a trade with the Washington Wizards, and he is coming off a solid season in which he showcased elite three-point shooting in the regular season and carried it over to the NBA playoffs.

As for Kuminga, he remains unsigned after being traded by the Golden State Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks last season. The Hawks declined his team option ($24.3 million), making him an unrestricted free agent.

He played in only 36 games during the 2025-26 campaign due to injury, averaging 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Lakers Looking for 'Young Wing'

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are looking for a “young wing” to help defensively, with Kuminga getting “significant consideration” from Los Angeles.

With the Lakers looking to get younger while building around superstar guard Luka Doncic, Kuminga fits the bill as he’ll turn 24 in October, even though he’s arguably not an upgrade over Hachimura, who is a far better shooter and much more durable.

The problem for the Lakers is that they can’t currently send Kuminga an offer outside of a veteran minimum, meaning they’ll have to get creative to trade and figure out how to open up some cap space to send him an offer he’d consider.

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