Lakers Trade Rumors Involving Jonathan Kuminga Take a Drastic Turn

The NBA trade deadline is less than two weeks away, with a lot brewing around the league about potential deals and which notable players could be playing in a different uniform after Feb. 5, with the Los Angeles Lakers potentially making some moves.

One notable player linked to the Lakers during his trade window is Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors, who recently asked the Warriors' brass to trade him before the deadline.

Jonathan Kuminga Trade Rumors Take Drastic Turn

With Kuminga determined to be traded before February's deadline, the rumors have been swirling about where he could end up, with Los Angeles being a potential destination.

On Monday, however, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints downplayed any chance of the 23-year-old landing with the Lakers, with the Warriors reportedly not interested in anything Los Angeles is offering.

Multiple league sources tell @ClutchPoints that there are no active, ongoing discussions between the Warriors and Lakers regarding Jonathan Kuminga.

The Lakers do hold interest in Kuminga, but the Warriors have made it clear LA has nothing of value to them.

There is no offer.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) January 27, 2026

Multiple league sources tell ClutchPoints that there are no active, ongoing discussions between the Warriors and Lakers regarding Jonathan Kuminga. The Lakers do hold interest in Kuminga, but the Warriors have made it clear LA has nothing of value to them. There is no offer.

Personally, this is a blessing in disguise for the Lakers, as Kuminga doesn't bring much to the table for the storied franchise, and it didn't really make sense for them to pursue him ahead of the NBA trade deadline. He doesn't address the need for the team to improve defensively, and the only real upside is that he's young and could develop into a star. But he feels redundant with Austin Reaves on the roster and expected to remain on it for the long term.

This is an interesting development in the Kuminga trade saga, considering what Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. recently said about the young forward's trade demand, via Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints.

GM Mike Dunleavy on how the Butler injury affects their approach to Jonathan Kuminga’s trade demand:

“When you make a demand there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see where that unfolds. But always with these guys, I’m willing to work with them.” pic.twitter.com/YMFzox5J8c
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) January 21, 2026

“When you make a demand there needs to be a demand on the market," Dunleavy said. "So we’ll see where that unfolds. But always with these guys, I’m willing to work with them.”

Although it seems inevitable that Kuminga will soon be playing in another uniform in the NBA, it remains to be seen which team will end up trading for him, whether it be now or during the summer.

As the trade deadline approaches, the Lakers' intentions are unclear: they'll either try to make a big swing to bring in a three-and-D player like Herb Jones or Andrew Wiggins, or trade to acquire assets to make a run at Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the offseason. There's a chance the storied franchise stands pat, which might not sit well with fans but could be the wise, tactical move to prepare for what could be a game-changing summer for the Lakers.