Kuminga Isn’t Coming. Now What?

Thank God, the Jonathan Kuminga saga is finally over!

The enigmatic forward and his agent finally made their decision after a 58-day wait, signing a two-year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Shams Charania@ShamsCharania

BREAKING: Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender.

10:43 PM · Aug 26, 2026 · 260K Views

1.03K Replies · 1.11K Reposts · 5.67K Likes

The two-year deal is a bit misleading because, according to a follow-up report from Shams Charania, Kuminga and his camp actually chose a one-year, $6 million deal with a player option for the second season over the longer, more lucrative three-year contract the Lakers could have offered if they had agreed on a sign-and-trade with Atlanta.

There are plenty of “could haves” and “what ifs” on the Lakers’ side that we’ll probably never truly understand. But the end result is that the Lakers couldn’t pull off a deal that satisfied all three camps, and Kuminga will now fill the Timberwolves’ void at power forward rather than the Lakers’.

Was this a missed opportunity for the Lakers? Sure. Was it also a potential risk that could have affected the chemistry, hierarchy, and immaculate vibes this new team started building during its bonding trip to my homeland? Absolutely.

To be honest and fully transparent, I was ready to convince myself that the supremely athletic Kuminga would bring the missing starting-caliber talent, accept a 3-and-D role, fully buy in, and thrive while catching lobs from Luka had he chosen the purple and gold. But the 23-year-old is now on his second consecutive “prove it to really get paid” one-year deal, which makes me a little skeptical that he is fully ready to make the transformation and sacrifices the Lakers would have expected from him.

The Lakers had two key players, Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton, on similar deals last season. At least in theory, those sacrifices should be much easier for veterans who have already earned more than $100 million. Yet, we still saw the roller coaster with Ayton and the “They’re trying to make me Clint Capela” moment, as another talented former top prospect struggled to adjust to the reality of no longer being the first, second, or even third option. Based on the long-term contracts the Lakers handed out this offseason and the types of role players they chose, I think that was exactly the kind of situation they wanted to avoid.

The Lakers, meanwhile, must move on from their two-month-long Kuminga dream and figure out how to fill the remaining void in their starting five. I think there are a couple of ways Pelinka and Co. could pivot, which I’ll try to lay out in the following two sections.