Lakers, Hawks Discuss Jonathan Kuminga Sign-and-Trade with Multi-Team Twist
Latest developments in the Kuminga sweepstakes
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers are pushing to acquire unrestricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga via a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks, but negotiations have hit a critical snag: the Hawks have no interest in taking back Jarred Vanderbilt as part of the deal, according to league sources.
The Lakers have long coveted the 23-year-old former lottery pick, and the two sides have been in talks for weeks. However, the initial framework — Vanderbilt plus a 2032 first-round pick swap — has stalled because Atlanta sees Vanderbilt's contract as an albatross rather than an asset. With two years and $25.7 million remaining on his extension, the Hawks are not willing to absorb that salary.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Lakers are now exploring multi-team trade scenarios that would offload Vanderbilt to a third team, clearing the way for a cleaner sign-and-trade with Atlanta. Such a move would also allow Los Angeles to offer Kuminga a richer contract than the two-year, $20 million deal they originally presented.
Kuminga, who averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds last season across stints with the Golden State Warriors and Hawks, is seeking a more lucrative commitment. Sources say he is open to various contract structures below his 2025-26 salary of $22.5 million, depending on the sign-and-trade framework.
The salary puzzle and hard cap constraints
If the Lakers can successfully dump Vanderbilt's salary onto another team without taking matching money back, they would create roughly $13.4 million in cap space for Kuminga. That would allow a deal starting at that figure, potentially reaching three years and $42.3 million or four years and $57.7 million.
But the more likely path — a sign-and-trade that includes Vanderbilt — would hard-cap the Lakers at the first apron. Under that scenario, the maximum salary they could offer Kuminga for the 2026-27 season is approximately $21.5 million, according to Khobi Price of The California Post.
"If the Lakers acquire Kuminga in a sign-and-trade including Vanderbilt and the pick swap, the most they'd be allowed to pay Kuminga for 2026-27 would be around $21.5 million, which would also keep the Lakers below the first apron threshold they're hard-capped at," Price reported.
That figure aligns with what multiple league insiders consider a fair market value for Kuminga, who has yet to fully realize the potential that made him the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The Lakers remain "infatuated with his upside and potential," as one source put it, viewing him as a long-term piece alongside Luka Dončić.
For Kuminga, a multi-year deal averaging more than $20 million annually would represent a significant raise from his previous rookie-scale contract, though it falls short of the max-level money he might have once envisioned.
Why this deal matters for the Lakers and Kuminga
The Lakers' roster rebuild and future flexibility
The Lakers have already remade their roster this offseason through a flurry of moves, culminating in the blockbuster trade that brought Dončić to Los Angeles. Adding Kuminga would give them a high-energy, explosive wing who can defend multiple positions and attack the rim in transition.
However, the cost is real. The 2032 pick swap — the Lakers' only tradeable first-round pick swap remaining after sending two first-rounders and two swaps to Utah for Walker Kessler — represents their last significant trade chip. If the Lakers deal that swap for Kuminga, they will have almost no ability to make another major trade until the 2030s.
"And the pick swap would simply be the price of doing business," Price wrote. "And if the Lakers are better than the Hawks in six years — which they expect to be with Dončić on the roster — the pick swap becomes less of a factor."
That logic assumes sustained contention, but it's a gamble. The Lakers are betting that their championship window with Dončić will remain open through the early 2030s, making a pick swap with Atlanta largely irrelevant.
Kuminga's reputation and untapped potential
Kuminga arrives with baggage. He reportedly clashed with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during his time in Golden State, and those tensions ultimately contributed to his trade to Atlanta in February. The Hawks acquired him as part of a deal that sent Kristaps Porziņģis to the Warriors, but Kuminga played only 16 regular-season games in Atlanta.
Atlanta's decision to decline his $24.3 million team option speaks volumes. The Hawks, who have a young core of their own, did not see Kuminga as worth that price tag. Now they are willing to facilitate a sign-and-trade, but only on terms that benefit them — and taking back Vanderbilt is not one of them.
Still, Kuminga is only 23, and his physical tools remain tantalizing. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season while shooting 52.8% from the field. His transition scoring and defensive versatility could make him a perfect complement to Dončić in a Lakers system that thrives on pace and spacing.
"Kuminga, an explosive transition-scoring weapon with a high motor, was a 12.3-point, 5.6-rebound contributor for the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks last season," noted Caleb Hightower of The Sporting News.
The multi-team landscape and competing suitors
Third-team scenarios and alternative destinations
The Lakers are not alone in their pursuit. The Sacramento Kings, who were interested in Kuminga before the February trade deadline, remain in the mix, according to reports. The Chicago Bulls have also been mentioned as a potential landing spot.
For the Lakers, the most practical path involves finding a third team willing to absorb Vanderbilt's contract. Several teams with cap space or large trade exceptions could serve as facilitators. The Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, and Oklahoma City Thunder are among the franchises with the flexibility to take on Vanderbilt's salary without sending back significant salary.
If the Lakers can execute a multi-team deal, they could offer Kuminga a three- or four-year contract that starts at $21.5 million and escalates. That would put him in the same tier as other mid-level free agents signed this summer.
"There are said to be multi-team scenarios that the Lakers could pursue that offload Vanderbilt to a different team than Atlanta," Fischer reported. "That would help the Lakers provide Kuminga with an offer richer than the two-year, $20 million deal that sources say they originally presented him."
The Hawks' position and leverage
Atlanta holds significant leverage here. Because Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent, the Hawks can either match an offer sheet (if one is extended) or facilitate a sign-and-trade that benefits them. They have no obligation to help the Lakers, especially if the return doesn't improve their roster or cap sheet.
The Hawks are reportedly content to wait for a better offer — or to see if the Lakers can find a third team. If no deal materializes, Atlanta could simply let Kuminga walk and preserve its cap space for next summer.
Broader implications and what comes next
The new CBA and sign-and-trade dynamics
This saga illustrates the complexities of the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, which restricts how teams above the luxury tax apron can operate. Sign-and-trades require at least a three-year contract, with only the first season needing to be fully guaranteed. That gives teams some flexibility, but the hard cap at the first apron limits how much they can offer.
The Lakers are already working in a constrained financial environment. After the Dončić trade and subsequent moves, they are hard-capped at the first apron. Any sign-and-trade for Kuminga must keep them below that line, which explains the $21.5 million ceiling.
Market signals for young free agents
Kuminga's market this summer serves as a barometer for how the league values young, high-upside players who have not yet broken out. He is entering his fifth professional season and has shown flashes, but consistency and fit remain question marks.
If the Lakers land him, it will signal that they believe in player development — and that Dončić's presence can elevate those around him. If Kuminga signs elsewhere, it could reflect concerns about his attitude or fit that are not easily dismissed.
In the grander scheme, the Kuminga trade talks remind us that the NBA offseason is rarely quiet. The Lakers, always in the headlines, are once again working the margins to build a contender. Whether they succeed will depend on their ability to find a third team willing to take Vanderbilt — and on Kuminga's willingness to bet on himself in Los Angeles.
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