Hawks Wise to Reject Lakers' Jarred Vanderbilt in Jonathan Kuminga Sign-and-Trade

The Atlanta Hawks have apparently rejected Jarred Vanderbilt in Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade conversations with the Los Angeles Lakers.

That's wise.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Atlanta has been resistant to taking on Vanderbilt's $13.29 million player option for the 2027-28 season. Khobi Price of the California Post had previously reported that the Hawks were willing to build a deal around Vanderbilt and the Lakers' 2032 first-round pick swap, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line later reported that Atlanta had pushed back on that framework.

This is why NBA negotiations can get so difficult. It seems the Lakers want Kuminga. It does not seem that the Hawks are especially concerned with retaining him. Still, they don't want to lose him for nothing.

Then, there are Kuminga's goals to consider. The Lakers can sign him outright, but only for the minimum. He wants more. They may be willing to give it to him, but the money has to move through a sign-and-trade:

And the Hawks have no incentive to help them out.

None of which should be misconstrued to suggest that Vanderbilt is a bad player.

Defensive versatility is his calling card. Vanderbilt can guard across positions. He's also a hard-working player who puts in a lot of effort on the boards. He's useful:

But he has his share of issues on the offensive end.

In 2025-26, Vanderbilt shot 29.3% from 3-point range. He averaged 4.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.4 minutes across 65 games. He doesn't have nearly enough ball-handling to operate as a secondary playmaker. This is basically a pick-and-roll finisher, and at 6-foot-8, he's undersized for the role.

Speaking of undersized big men, Onyeka Okongwu stands just 6-foot-9. That's fine, because he's more than valuable enough to make up the difference, but having also added the 6-foot-8 Zuby Ejiofor with the 23rd pick in the 2026 draft, the Hawks seem good on 4/5 tweeners in that height range.

So, they don't need Vanderbilt. It's hard to identify another player the Lakers may be willing to part with in a Kuminga sign-and-trade. It seems that he's not Hollywood-bound:

And that isn't the Hawks' problem.

Should the Hawks bring Kuminga back? That's a different, more difficult question.

If he can't find a substantial contract elsewhere, bringing him back on a short-term deal would be fine. Losing him in free agency would be fine too.

Either option is preferable to taking on a $13.29 million player option in 2027-28 for a player they don't want in the first place.

The Hawks have options. This team has enough future assets and young players to consider itself flexible. Atlanta also acquired Luguentz Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder this month, which further crowds the wing rotation Vanderbilt would be joining. This front office has also done a fine job of managing their cap sheet and avoiding bad contracts.

Why buck that trend now? Short of appeasing the Lakers, there's no reason for the Hawks to take Vanderbilt on. He doesn't fit with their roster, and he'd put unnecessary strain on their salary sheet.

Don't expect the team to change their minds any time soon.