The Los Angeles Lakers have a known interest in unrestricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga. For the most part, it's a logical pursuit, as Kuminga is a talented and athletic young player who has proven capable of scoring with volume and checking boxes Los Angeles has otherwise failed to address.
Shams Charania of ESPN proved how thin the line is between optimism and delusion, however, when he reported that the Lakers aren't just interested in signing Kuminga. They seemingly want to make him an instant starter.
Lakers reach a deal with Williams and CAA Co-Head of Basketball Aaron Mintz to address their wing depth -- and LA continues to strongly pursue Jonathan Kuminga as a potential starting forward, sources tell ESPN. Williams averaged 10.2 points and 22.9 minutes for the Nets last… https://t.co/4njsbJYd7U
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2026
It must be acknowledged that Kuminga has gotten the short end of the stick during his NBA career. Though there's a case he could've done more to adapt to what the Golden State Warriors asked of him, he also played in a system that proved too rigid to permit him to follow his ideal development path.
Kuminga then played rather well in limited time for the Atlanta Hawks near the end of the 2025-26 season, with head coach Quin Snyder even playing him for full fourth quarters during the playoffs.
The reason the line is so thin between optimism and delusion, however, is built on two simple facts. For one, the Lakers are a championship hopeful that has the ambition to contend as soon as 2026-27. Compounded with that truth is the other factor: Kuminga is an imperfect fit.
With a faulty jump shot and a history of inconsistency on defense, signing Kuminga as an upside play who could become a starter would be understandable. As an instant starter, however, it'd be a risky investment.
Lakers view Jonathan Kuminga "as a potential starting forward"
Kuminga is a career 33.2 percent three-point shooter who has cleared 33.6 percent just once in five seasons as an NBA player: A now distant 2022-23 campaign. He shot just 30.9 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2025-26 and hasn't converted at least 35.0 percent since the aforementioned 2022-23 season.
For a Lakers team that plans to run its offense through ball-dominant guards and downhill playmakers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, that poses an instant reason to question Kuminga's fit.
It'd be one thing to invest in Kuminga's ability to right the ship and operate in a more well-rounded manner on offense. He is, after all, an explosive athlete who can operate as a lob threat for Doncic and Reaves both in transition and in the half court.
Kuminga shot just 34.0 percent on corner threes in 2025-26 and 28.3 percent in 2024-25, however, which would seemingly limit his value in Los Angeles' system.
Compounded by the fact that center Walker Kessler is a non-shooter who primarily operates along the interior, it's difficult to see Kuminga as a seamless fit. Instead, he'll likely need time to adapt to his new surroundings and polish a jump shot that he's yet to truly get down after five NBA seasons.
Signing Kuminga is a worthwhile gamble, but banking on him filling a void in the starting lineup despite the imperfect nature of how he'd complement his new teammates borders on delusional.
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