Jonathan Kuminga’s agent Aaron Turner detailed the Lakers’ effort to land him through a sign-and-trade with Atlanta before Kuminga chose Minnesota.
Aaron Turner explained a trade that never happened. Jonathan Kuminga's agent appeared on FanDuel TV's "Run It Back" with Chandler Parsons two days after Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million contract with the Timberwolves. Parsons asked about the Lakers, who offered more money. Getting that money to Kuminga needed a sign-and-trade through Atlanta, but it never materialized.
Kuminga's Minnesota deal carries a player option on the second season. Turner confirmed the terms to ESPN's Shams Charania on Wednesday. Los Angeles had put more than $12 million a year across three seasons on the table, Charania reported, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka held several conversations with Hawks president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh about sign-and-trade constructions.
Turner ranked the Lakers' basketball court higher than Minnesota's.
"He definitely spent a good amount of time talking with JJ, and there was a very clean role at the four, especially on the offensive side with the spacing and shooting they have, and allowing him to be a screener, cutter, pitching ahead and letting him play in transition," Turner said. "It was tough from a basketball perspective between Minnesota and LA. Those were clearly the two cleanest basketball situations that offered different stuff. From the Lakers' standpoint, if you're gonna be below the mid-level, you're not going to lock into that for too long."
Los Angeles had an opening at power forward after LeBron James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 24.
A sign-and-trade needs three or four seasons, so Los Angeles couldn't offer the two-year structure with a second-year option that Minnesota did. The 2026-27 non-taxpayer mid-level exception is worth about $15.1 million, more than the Lakers' annual figure.
Chicago and Portland also submitted offers, with Turner mentioning that Portland's deal included a player option at a higher salary than Minnesota's.
"Now he's in a situation where he can bet on himself; he can put himself in a spot where 'Okay, I can now dictate what happens to me, I can have some level of control over what moves forward,'" Turner explained.
On February 5, Atlanta acquired Kuminga along with Buddy Hield in the trade that sent Kristaps Porziņģis to Golden State. He debuted with the Hawks by scoring 27 points and finished the regular season participating in 16 games with 1 start, averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.1 minutes. Kuminga also played all 6 games in Atlanta's first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, averaging 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 26.0 minutes.
Kuminga did not pick Atlanta and Turner did not pretend otherwise.
"It's not like JK said, I want to go to Atlanta," Turner said. "He got thrown to Atlanta."
Before free agency, the Hawks declined Kuminga's $24.3 million team option. Michael Scotto reported that this decision let them use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception while keeping Kuminga's Bird Rights and sign-and-trade options. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Atlanta was $27 million under the tax line and $35 million below the first apron.
Atlanta is now hard-capped at the first apron. The Hawks extended CJ McCollum, re-signed Jock Landale, acquired Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins from Oklahoma City, Devin Carter from Sacramento, and Ryan Nembhard from Dallas, and drafted Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar. Dort took Kuminga's jersey number.
Atlanta went 46-36 last season, won the Southeast Division, and lost to the Knicks in six games. Quin Snyder returns as coach. Atlanta opens the season on the road against the Orlando Magic.
