Report: Cleveland Cavaliers Actively Pursuing Jonathan Kuminga

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN, the Cleveland Cavaliers are actively pursuing Jonathan Kuminga. 

The Atlanta Hawks made Kuminga an unrestricted free agent by declining his team option for next season. 

Kuminga could start at small forward for Cleveland next season since the Cavaliers lost Dean Wade to the Philadelphia 76ers and didn't get LeBron James, who joined Philly as well.   

Kuminga played for the Golden State Warriors and Hawks last season. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 72.4% from the free-throw line.

The Cavaliers can offer Kuminga a starting spot alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Kenny Atkinson coached Kuminga in Golden State, so the two have a relationship already.  

Kuminga has career averages of 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the regular season and 8.0 points per game in the playoffs. He won the 2022 championship with the Warriors. 

The Cavaliers reached the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018 — and first without James on the roster since 1993 — but were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. It has not been a good offseason for Cleveland, as the team lost Wade, Keon Ellis and Larry Nance Jr. and didn't get LeBron.

According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Kuminga wants to play for the Cavaliers. 

"Cavs officials maintained contact with Kuminga and his Cleveland-based agent, Aaron Turner, throughout James’ free agency, and there is mutual interest, multiple league sources told The Athletic," Vardon wrote. "They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal team and player deliberations."

It will be fascinating to see if Cleveland can land Kuminga. The Cavaliers will re-sign Harden once Kuminga picks his next team. Harden is waiting to sign his new deal with the Wine and Gold to give the team financial flexibility to improve the team.