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The Los Angeles Lakers should be prepared to pivot if they fail to land Jonathan Kuminga this summer.
After all, per The California Post’s Khobi Price, the Cleveland Cavaliers are another franchise interested in adding Kuminga to their roster, making the idea of the Lakers coming up short in their pursuit of the former Golden State Warriors forward realistic.
Luckily for Los Angeles, Price pointed out that a former Denver Nuggets NBA champion forward is an asset the franchise could target as part of a Kuminga backup plan.
“As of Wednesday, it wasn’t clear what other options the Lakers would have if they didn’t acquire Kuminga – or at least ones that would fit into their vision similar to how they’ve expressed to Kuminga,” Price wrote.
“Or fulfill their combination of needs for size, athleticism, defense, and youth on the wings. Ziaire Williams, who’s coming off a career-year with the Nets, is a player the Lakers eyed after the Nets declined Williams’ $6.3 million team option to make him an unrestricted free agent.”
“Bruce Brown, Matisse Thybulle, and Ochai Agbaji are other unrestricted free agents still available.”
Brown first joined the Nuggets in 2022 and used his reliable off-ball cutting, serviceable playmaking, and multifaceted defense to help Denver end the season as champions. The Miami product averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in 80 games with the franchise."
After brief stints with the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans, Brown found himself back on the Nuggets’ roster for the 2025-26 season. While slightly less productive during his second stint with the franchise (he contributed 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals with Denver last year), there’s no question he was a valuable second-unit role player on a Nuggets squad with championship aspirations.
Could the Lakers express interest in signing the 29-year-old as a last-resort option this offseason? Perhaps, but given their desire for a high-caliber wing who could be slotted into the franchise’s starting lineup, it’s unlikely they’ll aggressively pursue Brown.
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