1 hour ago
3
Even as most of the NBA has been in a holding pattern awaiting LeBron James’ free agency decision, the Lakers have marched on with their roster reconstruction.
The same week after James revealed he wasn’t returning to the Lakers for an unprecedented 24th NBA season, the team agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Jazz for Walker Kessler (four years, $130 million), made free agency deals for Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million) and executed a trade that brought Jaden Hardy to LA and sent Deandre Ayton to the Wizards
And over the last two weeks, the Lakers have made multiple veteran’s minimum signings: Kevon Looney (one year, $3.9 million), Ziaire Williams (one year, $2.8 million) and Matisse Thybulle (one year, $3.3 million).
And the Lakers aren’t done yet.
By league rules, they’ll need to trim their roster from 16 players agreed/signed to standard NBA deals to 15 before the regular season starts in late October.
But they’re still looking to make additions to fortify their roster around franchise cornerstones Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Kessler.
Potentially another backup big man.
And possibly a bigger, starting-caliber wing.
At the center of the Lakers’ roster improvement pursuits is unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
The Lakers and Kuminga have mutual interest; Lakers president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick met with Kuminga after free agency started in late June.
As The California Post detailed two weeks ago, a deal hasn’t been agreed to because the Lakers and Kuminga’s camp haven’t come to terms on a mutually satisfactory salary.
That’s before detailing how a sign-and-trade with the Hawks for Kuminga would look — the most realistic way for the Lakers to acquire the 23-year-old forward who has spent time with the Hawks (2026) and Warriors (2021-26) after being the No. 7 pick in the 2021 draft.
Kuminga has been in a holding pattern because of James’ decision. No tangible progress toward a deal between the Lakers and Kuminga has been made over the last couple of weeks, a source told The Post.
The Cavaliers also have significant interest in Kuminga, sources said. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson coached Kuminga while Atkinson was an assistant coach with the Warriors from 2021-24. If James doesn’t go back to Cleveland for a third stint, it increases the likelihood of Kuminga joining the Cavaliers, who would likely make other moves to bring in Kuminga in addition to a sign-and-trade.
There’s no guarantee Kuminga will join the Lakers even though the sides have been linked for nearly a month.
That is why the Lakers must have backup options.
Ochai Agbaji and Trendon Watford are realistic small/power forward options available on the free agency market: NBA-caliber players but not starting-level forwards who would fit well alongside Doncic, Reaves, Walker and potentially Grimes.
Which means their best option to acquire a starting-level forward would need to come via a trade.
The Lakers have long been tied to trade rumors involving Mavericks forward P.J. Washington, a former teammate of Doncic’s in Dallas, but as The Post previously reported, the fully guaranteed $88.8 million Washington is owed over the next four years isn’t appealing to the Lakers.
As HoopsHype reported, the Nuggets have “rebuffed” trade inquiries for sharpshooting forward Cam Johnson throughout the offseason.
From there, trade options for a forward who can step in as a starter without jeopardizing the Lakers’ potential access to the mid-level exception next offseason become limited.
Kings forward De’Andre Hunter and Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma, who was with the Lakers from 2017-21 and won the 2020 championship with the franchise, stand out as the best trade options.
Hunter ($24.9 million) and Kuzma ($20.5 million) are entering the final season of their four-year, $90 million deals. Trading for either would likely require the Lakers to send a combination of Jarred Vanderbilt, Hardy or Dalton Knecht in addition to second-round picks.
The Lakers previously had interest in trading for Hunter ahead of the deadline in February before the Cavaliers sent him to the Kings as part of a three-team deal with the Bulls.
There isn’t any known current interest in Hunter or Kuzma from the Lakers’ side as they continue to be focused on acquiring Kuminga.
But if they aren’t able to acquire Kuminga, Hunter or Kuzma will likely be their best external backup options this summer.
English (US)