The Los Angeles Lakers haven't given up on trying to snatch forward Jonathan Kuminga. They have been trying to acquire the free agent since early this summer, when they reportedly met with him and promised him a starting role.
After negotiations on a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Atlanta Hawks went dead a few weeks ago, they apparently restarted again, according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports. Helin reported that the talks are now centered around Jaden Hardy, a guard Los Angeles acquired last month when it traded center Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards.
Now, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report says that the Kuminga saga will be resolved soon, as the Lakers compete with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the services of the 23-year-old.
“Comes down to Minnesota or Los Angeles,” Fischer said. “Kuminga, I think, has seemed to prefer going to the Lakers. They have the most opportunity to negotiate there. …
“The Lakers have been selling him on this vision of having him start next to Luka [Doncic]. They're gonna have the spending power in theory to reward him next year if all goes according to plan. That's going to come to some type of conclusion here soon. I thought it could have happened last week, but I still have been told nothing to suggest that Kuminga's situation is not coming down to the Lakers or the Timberwolves.”
Kuminga, the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has been seen as something of a disappointment so far in his pro career. He has a career average of 12.5 points in 22.1 minutes a game, but his 3-point shooting has been subpar, and his defense has been inconsistent.
The narrative is that he has an idealized image of himself as a big-time scorer that doesn't fit the role of being a two-way player that he has been asked to fill.
The one real roster hole the Lakers currently have is a starting two-way wing or forward. If Kuminga comes to the team and truly changes his ways, he could help it take a sizable step forward toward becoming a true championship contender.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Jonathan Kuminga, Lakers saga will soon reach conclusion
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