Hawks and Lakers Reportedly Had Several Discussions Over A Jonathan Kuminga Sign-and-Trade

With Jonathan Kuminga signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves after coming to an agreement last night, it felt like the final big move of the offseason in the NBA. Kuminga’s free agency had dragged on for the last couple of months, but he is now a member of one of the best teams in the NBA.

It seemed that the decision for Kuminga had come down to the Timberwolves and the Lakers, but Los Angeles could only acquire Kuminga via a sign-and-trade. The tricky thing about a sign-and-trade is that all three parties (Hawks, Lakers, and Kuminga) have to agree to terms, and that was something that did not happen.

According to Anthony Slater at ESPN, the Lakers were the team that pursued Kuminga the hardest once free agency opened, and while Los Angeles and Atlanta had several discussions over a sign-and-trade involving Kuminga, they could not come to an agreement:

“The Lakers pursued Kuminga the hardest in the early weeks of free agency. General manager Rob Pelinka had several discussions with Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh about sign-and-trade scenarios to land Kuminga, but the three sides — Lakers, Hawks and Kuminga — could never land on a result that appeased everyone.”

Hawks made the right move

Apr 6, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) dribbles against New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was not a suprise that the Hawks did not find any terms acceptable involving a Kuminga sign-and-trade.

Early on in the process, there were reports that the Lakers were offering the Hawks a 2032 first-round pick swap and Jarred Vanderbilt for Kuminga, but it should be obvious why Atlanta would not want Vanderbilt’s contract on their books.

Right now, the Hawks are facing a roster crunch and need to cut their roster down from 17 to 15. Adding Vanderbilt would only further complicate that process and would put the Hawks over the luxury tax as well. Vanderbilt is owed $12.4 million this season and then has a $13.3 million player option for next season.

Not only is Vanderbilt close to unplayable, but it would have complicated the Hawks’ future flexibility. He would join Corey Kispert as the worst contract on the team, and combined, they would take up $25 million of the Hawks’ salary cap and would not even play.

The Hawks are set to have a lot of flexibility next summer unless they make a big move. CJ McCollum ($21 million), Lu Dort ($17.7 million), Jock Landale ($14 million), Mouhamed Gueye ($2.4 million), and Ryan Nembhard ($2.1 million) all come off the books next offseason. Buddy Hield’s contract is non-guaranteed next season, and if the Hawks decline Devin Carter’s team option for next season, he will become an expiring contract.

Here are the guaranteed contracts for Atlanta next season:

Jalen Johnson– $30,000,000Dyson Daniels- $25,000,000Onyeka Okongwu-$16,880,000Nickeil Alexander-Walker-$15,161,800Corey Kispert- $13,025,000Aaron Wiggins– $8,168,226Kingston Flemings– $7,716,120Zuby Ejiofor– $3,626,160Henri Veesaar-$2,294,370

Having Vanderbilt or any other undesirable contract that the Lakers wanted to move would have complicated things quite a bit. The Hawks did not have to agree to a sign-and-trade just because Kuminga wanted to go to the Lakers or vice versa, and they held firm with that stance.

At the end of the day, Kuminga is going to get a bigger opportunity in Minnesota that he could not have gotten in Atlanta and the Hawks will look to trim their roster down before the season.

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