Are the Los Angeles Lakers still trying to acquire Jonathan Kuminga? It looks like it. Kuminga has been linked to the Lakers constantly in recent days. LA just took a $3 million flyer on Ziaire Williams, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is still one impact move away from putting a bow on his offseason.
The problem for the Lakers when it comes to Kuminga is a gap in perceived value. Kuminga reportedly wants a deal in the realm of $25 million per year. That is miles away from what the Lakers are reportedly thinking for Kuminga -- $20 million over two years.
The latest intel from trustworthy NBA insider Jake Fischer revealed that Pelinka was trying to initiate a sign-and-trade for Kuminga. But the Atlanta Hawks weren't having it.
Lakers have reportedly failed to convince the Atlanta Hawks to do a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade
"It's believed that the Lakers hope to package their lone tradeable first-round pick swap left over in 2032 along with Jarred Vanderbilt in a sign-and-trade proposal for Kuminga," Fischer wrote. "Sources say Atlanta, however, has not considered taking back Vanderbilt in a deal that sends out Kuminga."
The Hawks don't want Vanderbilt, eh? You really can't blame them.
Kuminga would be an important addition to the Lakers, even if he's had somewhat of a head-scratching career at times. He's still only 23 years old, and there's no denying his sheer athleticism and size on the wing. He's exactly the kind of player who could be unleashed alongside Luka Doncic, after being kept on too short a leash for too long while with the Golden State Warriors.
ESPN's Shams Charania indicated as of Monday that the Lakers hadn't given up on their pursuit of Kuminga.
Shams: Lakers continue to strongly pursue Jonathan Kuminga.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) July 13, 2026
Lakers might not have the financial means to give Kuminga what he wants
It's obvious that LA is going full throttle in its pursuit of Kuminga, and, to be honest, joining the Lakers would be a great move for Kuminga and his career, from a basketball perspective. But that gap in money talks is real and doesn't foreshadow a happy ending for the Lake Show in these negotiations.
Kuminga has seemingly been hunting down a big contract for multiple years at this point, and his name is always popping up in the NBA news as someone who's disgruntled with his current situation and believes he deserves more. That simply doesn't pair well with a Lakers team with not much money left to spend after splurging on Walker Kessler and other pieces.
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