The Minnesota Timberwolves have emerged as the latest team to express interest in signing free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga. It's a potentially threatening development to the Los Angeles Lakers, as the purple and gold are hoping to sign Kuminga and make him an instant starter.
Thankfully, the offer that the Timberwolves are looking to extend to Kuminga has only strengthened the odds of the Lakers completing this highly-anticipated signing.
Much like Los Angeles, Minnesota has a void to fill at forward. Also similar to the Lakers, the Timberwolves would be adding Kuminga to a team that otherwise features two high-usage star guards and a high-level rim protector.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Minnesota is hoping that Kuminga will be amenable to signing for the taxpayer mid-level exception of $6.06 million.
"After missing out on their pursuit of LeBron James, the Minnesota Timberwolves have also expressed interest in Kuminga with their starting power forward spot up for grabs and their $6.06 million taxpayer mid-level exception available for the taking, league sources told HoopsHype."
For those wondering how much more the Lakers are willing to pay Kuminga than what the Timberwolves are offering, the gap is said to be "significant." Minnesota is hoping "basketball fit" will be enough to offset the difference.
"While the Lakers have a significantly higher financial offer and longer contract on the table, and Cleveland can also offer a significantly higher salary via a sign-and-trade, Minnesota’s interest is still noteworthy, given the basketball fit."
There's certainly a case for the Timberwolves being an ideal landing spot for Kuminga, but the Lakers can offer quite an ideal "basketball fit" themselves—at a far more lucrative price.
Lakers can offer "significantly" more money than the Timberwolves
In addition to the star-studded trio of LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and Rudy Gobert, the Timberwolves have a tremendous complementary duo. Jaden McDaniels is an elite defender and improving offensive player and a top-tier sixth man in Ayo Dosunmu.
Much as the Lakers have uncertainty beyond their top names, however, the same can be said for the Timberwolves—only they already have quite a few mouths to feed on offense.
Ball and Edwards are high-usage scorers, while Dosunmu and McDaniels are viable options for the role of third option. In Los Angeles, meanwhile, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are locked in as the top two scoring threats, but there isn't a clearly decided No. 3.
That plays a significant part in the "basketball fit" debate, as Los Angeles has a role that arguably more ideally suits Kuminga waiting for him as a fairly featured scoring threat.
Lakers can offer a bigger scoring role than the Timberwolves
Kuminga has spent the first five seasons of his career thriving as a scorer on a per-36 basis, but never truly being unleashed. He boasts a career average of 20.3 points per 36 minutes, but has averaged fewer than 10.0 field goal attempts per game in three of his five campaigns.
The Lakers could easily carve out the type of volume his talent level deserves, particularly with no high-volume forward on the roster up to this point in the offseason.
Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton will play high-volume roles as guards who offer value as catch-and-shoot marksmen and penetrators. Sandro Mamukelashvili is an excellent floor-spacing big man who finishes with efficiency inside, but his shot creation profile is fairly limited.
That leaves a significant void along the wings for a tall and athletic shot creator to emerge. Kuminga has the qualifications to do so.
Minnesota can still carve out a meaningful role for Kuminga, particularly with Chris Finch's history of getting the most out of polarizing players. Los Angeles simply has more to offer in regard to role and money—two difficult factors to beat.
Compounded by the fact that thriving in Los Angeles would elevate Kuminga's profile as a player to a different tier, the Timberwolves' interest only strengthens the purple and gold's case to sign him.
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