Report: Jonathan Kuminga Wants to Play for Cleveland Cavaliers

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

Kuminga, an unrestricted free agent, 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. 

"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."

Kuminga played for the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks last season. The Hawks made the forward an unrestricted free agent by declining his team option for next season. 

In 36 games with the Warriors and Hawks last season, Kuminga 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.

“Jonathan likes the Cavs, likes (coach) Kenny Atkinson, and (star) Donovan Mitchell likes him,” Turner, Kuminga’s agent, said in a brief interview, per The Athletic. 

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 Cavs 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. 

It will be fascinating to see if the Cavaliers get Kuminga and/or Mario Hezonja. The front office has to do something big after losing LeBron to the 76ers.