The Peyton Watson domino has dropped in free agency. That should mean Jonathan Kuminga's decision is on its way, and the Los Angeles Lakers will have great interest in seeing it finally resolved. Depending on how soon that moment comes, things could get awkward in a hurry.
Lakers players, minus Cameron Carr, are all in Slovenia right now to visit Luka Doncic and get some early on-court chemistry developed. One or two of those guys could have a truly uncomfortable flight home if news of a Kuminga sign-and-trade comes through in the coming days.
To maintain the strongest offer for Kuminga, the Lakers would need it to be a sign-and-trade that brings him to Los Angeles. If the franchise is hoping to give him at least upward of $10 million a year on his next deal, that ensures one to two players leaving Hollywood in the process.
Good news? If it is two, they would at least have each other on a flight back to the United States. Hopefully they enjoyed a free trip to Slovenia in the meantime. Perhaps Rob Pelinka and the front office would be cunning enough to keep any finalized deal quiet while the Lakers are over in Eastern Europe. If something is done in the coming days, though, insiders are typically quick to sniff it out.
Jonathan Kuminga deal would result in a wasted Slovenia trip for somebody
The worst-case scenario for these players that could be involved in a sign-and-trade would involve being right in the middle of workouts with their teammates and having that tweet notification from Shams disrupt that. What do you do at that point?
Do you pack up your things from the ball run and leave? Do you enjoy the time left with your ex-teammates? Either way, yikes.
Even if the news of the sign-and-trade is held off long enough for a comfortable return to the USA, those players would have made the trip over to Slovenia for very little reason with regard to the upcoming season. All the reps put in with those teammates immediately get thrown out the window.
On the flip side, who would not want a free vacation? Doncic is said to be pulling his weight on the expenses of the trip to Slovenia for the team. Sounds like a good bargain in that sense.
Even so, with the Kuminga situation hovering over the Lakers' heads, there is an inescapable feeling that a completed sign-and-trade would turn into wasted time and effort for someone. Getting acclimated with this group of guys would be all for naught when their locker room to start the 2026-27 season is not in Los Angeles.
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