Report: Hawks Free Agent Jonathan Kuminga Being Pursued by Lakers, Cavaliers

Atlanta Hawks free agent Jonathan Kuminga is being pursued by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, according to Anthony Slater of ESPN.

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

In 16 regular-season games with the Hawks, Kuminga averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He helped Atlanta make the 2026 playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. 

The Hawks lost to the New York Knicks in the first round in six games. Kuminga averaged 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in the six-game series. 

Slater reports that "Kuminga could return to the Hawks on a more team-friendly structure than the $24.3 million option they just declined, though such a reunion isn't being actively discussed."

Kuminga enters next season with career averages of 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He won the 2022 championship with the Warriors against the Boston Celtics.

Atlanta appears to have a bright future with Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels leading the way. Quin Snyder's group went 46-36 last season and had the 12th-best net rating in the league. Only time will tell if Kuminga is part of the Hawks' future. 

The Hawks have been busy this offseason. They re-signed McCollum and Jock Landale and acquired Devin Carter from the Sacramento Kings and Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

In the 2026 NBA Draft, Atlanta got Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor and Henri Veesaar.

The Hawks haven't won a playoff series since 2021. That's the year Trae Young led the franchise to the Eastern Conference Finals. Young, of course, was traded to the Washington Wizards last season. 

It will be fascinating to see if the Hawks re-sign Kuminga. The 23-year-old has been in the NBA since 2021. 

The Cavaliers lost to the Knicks in the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals in four games, while the Lakers lost to the Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals in four games. 

Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson coached Kuminga in Golden State, so that's a relationship that could sway Kuminga to the Cavaliers. 

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