Lakers ‘Seriously Pursuing’ Jonathan Kuminga as Cavs Enter the Mix

The Los Angeles Lakers get some serious competition in the pursuit of free-agent wing Jonathan Kuminga.

Feb 26, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) brings the ball up the court against the Washington Wizards during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With 16 players currently on the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster, the bulk of the moves by the storied NBA franchise are done.

However, the Lakers need to get the roster down to 15 players before the start of the 2026-27 campaign, and rumors continue to swirl about the team looking to add another big man while still in hot pursuit of free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga.

Lakers ‘Seriously Pursuing’ Jonathan Kuminga

During an appearance on NBA Today, Shams Charania of ESPN provided an update on Kuminga’s situation now that LeBron James is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers may be directly competing with the Lakers for the young forward’s services.

"I'm told the Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are among the teams seriously pursuing Kuminga,” Charania said. "There are a couple other teams as well, poking around this situation. But both the Lakers and the Cavs would have sizable roles, potentially as a starter, for Kuminga. But they would need a sign-and-trade that works for the Atlanta Hawks, who declined his team option this summer. As well as a number that Kuminga would accept, as well. Those conversations are ongoing."

With the Cavs and Lakers potentially offering a starting role, the pursuit of the one-time NBA champion may simply come down to which sign-and-trade package the Atlanta Hawks favor and how much each team is willing to pay per season.

Lakers’ Trade Assets in Potential Sign-and-Trade for Jonathan Kuminga

At this point, it’s no secret that Jarred Vanderbilt is the one player the Lakers seem most determined to move. He’s got the largest guaranteed contract from players who were on the squad last season at $12.4 million, with a team option for the 2027-28 campaign at $13.2 million.

Dalton Knecht has also been mentioned frequently in trade rumors, dating back to the rescinded trade when the Lakers tried to bring in Mark Williams in a deal with the Charlotte Hornets to fill the need at center.

Other players that could be included in a trade are Bronny James, Jake LaRavia and the recently acquired Jaden Hardy.

As of right now, there’s no telling where this situation with Kuminga goes from here, especially with the Cavs now in the mix with the LeBron sweepstakes officially over.

Cleveland could get aggressive in their pursuit of Kuminga, which could be bad news for the Lakers if the Hawks are more intrigued by the Cavs’ trade assets.

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