The Golden State Warriors are going to have to make a Jonathan Kuminga trade soon. He has officially demanded it, which is meaningless, but it’s just time for the two parties to move on. While the Kuminga rumors have been swirling for years, he’s usually linked to the same few teams.
That’s why people were surprised to hear recent reports that the Lakers GM, Rob Pelinka, may have an interest in acquiring Kuminga. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area reported on the potential connection between Kuminga and the Lakers.
“That connection dates back to the summer of Kuminga’s restricted free agency saga. League sources told NBC Sports Bay Area then that the Lakers were a team monitoring Kuminga’s situation and the possibility of him taking the qualifying offer, where he’d be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026. Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka is a fan of Kuminga’s, sources say, and likes the idea of him as an athletic wing on a Luka Dončić-led team. The Warriors have been aware of the Lakers’ likeness for Kuminga, though it’s unclear how likely an in-season move between the two teams is.”
This report doesn’t mean much. Just because Pelinka “is a fan” of Kuminga, it doesn’t mean the Lakers are going to trade for him. The fact that this report doesn’t mention that the teams are in conversations about Kuminga just shows how unlikely a Lakers-Kuminga trade is.
Kuminga wants to be the star, and the Lakers wouldn’t give him that opportunity. It would make much more sense for the Kings or Bulls to trade for him.
