A big part in the latter half of the Los Angeles Lakers' offseason felt like a never-ending circus surrounding Jonathan Kuminga potentially joining the purple and gold.
Ultimately, he decided to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves to a two-year, $13 million deal with a player option. There is an argument to be made that Minnesota was a better place for Kuminga to thrive next season; one thing that shouldn’t have been a factor was the difference between the two teams' cultures.
However, during Kuminga’s introductory press conference, he pointed exactly to that as a reason for joining the Timberwolves over his other options.
"I wanted to go to a winning culture,” said Kuminga. He then went on to say that after speaking to players, staff members, and coaches, he felt Minnesota was the vibe he was looking for.
Now, I’m not Kuminga, and I’m not entirely sure what 'vibe' he was searching for. What I do know is that the Timberwolves and Lakers both finished in the same spot at the end of the season—second-round exits. So really, how different can the two teams' cultures be if they ended up in the same place?
Jonathan Kuminga? More like Jonathan confused-a
In no way am I saying the Lakers have some elite-level culture or are steps ahead of the Timberwolves. Chris Finch and their front office deserve credit; they’ve made back-to-back conference finals in 2024 and 2025, something the Lakers haven’t done in this regime. But Finch has been running the show for the Timberwolves for seven seasons and is entering his eighth year with the team.
JJ Redick, on the other hand, is going into year three as an NBA coach, not just head coach, but as a coach. In his two years with the Lakers, he has won 50-plus games in both seasons and has infinitely less talent to work with. Finch hasn’t had to roll out lineups that featured Deandre Ayton as a starting center or Marcus Smart as a wing.
On top of that, it’s unfair to act like the Lakers aren’t a winning culture when this upcoming season is realistically the first year of the full Luka Doncic experience. With LeBron James out the door and Rob Pelinka building a roster around his superstar, the Lakers are bound to serve up more than just a winning culture this season.
Kuminga can argue that in Minnesota he has more opportunity to shine. He can even say that with the way his contract is structured, he could make more money as a free agent next summer.
One thing I can’t wrap my head around is acting like the Timberwolves have some incredible culture compared to the Lakers. Especially for a team that just traded for LaMelo Ball, a player who doesn’t really scream winning culture.
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