The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly interested in acquiring Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. It's an unexpected development that seemingly stems from the team's desire to add athletic wings who can defend at a high level.
Though Kuminga has gotten the short end of the proverbial stick with the Warriors, the Lakers must avoid trading for him at all costs.
Kuminga, 23, has never truly been empowered to explore his potential during his five seasons with Golden State. It's a disconcerting truth that has unfortunately failed to overshadow the importance of fit in regard to which team might take a chance on his untapped potential.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Lakers are one of the teams that remains interested in acquiring the former top-10 pick.
"The purple-and-gold's known preference at this deadline is to acquire a true 3-and-D wing with size if possible to provide some point-of-attack resistance on the perimeter as well as some shooting, but it must be said the Lakers, according to sources, did call Golden State about Kuminga during the sides' summer standoff in restricted free agency I’m told that the Lakers have likewise continued to monitor Kuminga’s situation while casting a wide net to try to find help on a very limited wing market."
Kuminga is a talented player with admittedly intriguing upside to explore, but the Lakers can't afford to take a high-cost chance on an inefficient shooter whose immediate value is questionable.
Lakers reportedly "monitor[ing] Kuminga's situation" with the Warriors
Kuminga is a 6'7" and 225-pound forward with plus athleticism and compelling instincts as a scorer. He boasts career averages of 12.5 points per game and 20.2 points per 36 minutes, and averaged 15.3 points per contest on .484/.400/.710 shooting during the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Unfortunately, Kuminga is also a career 33.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc who has shot 32.1 percent or worse across each of the past three seasons.
Perhaps an increase in playing time, touches, and consistency in his role will lead Kuminga to rediscovering the form he displayed in 2022-23. He shot 37.0 percent from beyond the arc that season, averaging 1.4 conversions per 36 minutes.
Unfortunately, it's been three long years since Kuminga displayed that level of efficiency and proficiency—and the Lakers are already inefficient at No. 25 in three-point field goal percentage.
There's admittedly some merit to the belief that Kuminga can help on defense, as he ranks in the 91st percentile in perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index. The situations with Golden State and Los Angeles wouldn't be all that different, however, as he'd be joining a team with multiple high-volume stars on the roster.
Compounded by the fact that he's owed $22.5 million in 2025-26, the Lakers need to part with potentially valuable assets for an imperfect fit.
Suppose it's Rui Hachimura who's shipped out in an attempt to make the salaries align and convince the Warriors to agree to a deal. The Lakers would effectively be losing a similar player whose skill set better suits the rotation. If it's a draft pick, then another long-term asset would be lost for an unknown commodity in regard to chemistry and how their abilities can be integrated.
With only three guaranteed seasons remaining on Luka Doncic's contract and Austin Reaves soon to sign a lucrative new deal, the Lakers simply can't afford to gamble on Kuminga with so much at stake.