2026-27 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

Maybe now the nutcracker can stop complaining about how little NBA players make.

 

well, only three teams had enough space to pay him, and atlanta had a team option that people weren't sure whether they'd use. we also don't know what teams told his agent, etc. if it were me, someone paid me 24m last year, and it's not like i was bad. i don't know. in a league where your mle is going to rui/john collins/tobias harris types at your position, i don't know that his ask is outlandish at all.

yeah, i just don't view 3/60 while giving up guys who clearly aren't part of the plan as that huge of a risk. especially when we'll be operating over the cap for the next three years, minimum, if not much longer.

i also don't see the reddish comparison. analytics hated cam reddish. counting stats hated cam reddish. neither is really the case for kuminga:





despite all the hoopla about being a bad fit in gs, he's been an above average player, and has played well both in the playoffs and as a starter for stretches.

anyway, it appears it's not happening, but i don't think him not coming here means he's delusional or mentally weak or whatever. gs bungled his development a bit, imo, and his agent screwed up.

 

Yet, all those players got MLE offers and Kuminga didn't. All those players are established starters in the league, Kuminga is not. He was not starting for the 6th of the East and was ok. Ok doesn't get you 25M.

Enough space is not that great of an argument. No team attempted a S&T. The teams that had didn't jump on him. There were TPEs available, multiple trades happening, a bunch of teams did a bunch of moves without thinking about JK. He was an afterthought to 90% of the league and that should be telling.
Hell I didn't even remembered Atlanta had a TO. So literally the team that had him decided to let him go. Not agree to a lower salary with more years. Nothing, just cut him.

His team literally decided he is not worth that number, after trading for him. His previous team didn't believe he was worth that. The whole league don't believe he is worth of that. So... maybe, you're not worth that?

He clearly has the upside, but so did hundreds of talent players who never made it in the NBA. Mindset and mentality is as important as anything else to succeed in the NBA and he is not the first to think he is better than everyone else thinks.

If he'll constantly be thinking of the money he thinks he deserves, he won't fit here. We don't need him chucking 15 shots a game to show he is a great baller. We need him locking down forwards and let offense come to him and make the right decisions. Are you confident he'll do that? I'm iffy...

 

Went with the jumbo shrimp fettuccine instead and it was Excellent!

 

Great choice. We will have the halibut at the championship celebration!!

 

Getting tired of discussing Kuminga, but I agree with abeer. I don't get the notion of him having not signed yet inherently meaning that he's selfish, doesn't care about winning, going to be a distraction, etc

I actually think most of the people expressing this sentiment probably don't actually feel this way, just getting annoyed by how long this is all taking. And I get that.

But if we end up executing a favorable sign-and-trade that gets him on a friendly deal, does it really matter if that gets done in July or August?

If we acquire him, I'm going to put MUCH more stock into his words in his initial press conference (and then of course even more importantly, how he shows up on the court) rather than making assumptions about his character based on his free agency taking a few extra weeks while his camp tried to earn the best deal possible. I wouldn't take it out on him just because his agency is misguided.

In terms of backup options at the starting 4 if we do still want to take a swing... I don't know what's even really out there. On the internet I keep seeing our fans mock trades for the likes of PJ Washington, Cam Johnson, etc but I haven't seen any reliable reporting that any of these options are actually being seriously pursued.

And I know that our FO does generally operate in secrecy so I'm not saying it's out of the realm of possibility that we're discussing those types of backup options.

But I've noticed a trend in our fanbase where we seem to take theoretical trade targets as real possibilities, and the more we talk about them, the more we delude ourselves into thinking it's a real thing. Just because Lakers Podcaster A mentioned that the Nuggets may try to shed Cam Johnson and mocked a Laker trade idea, and then afterwards Lakers Podcaster B, C, D, etc all made their own videos commenting on a Cam Johnson fantasy scenario... doesn't mean the Nuggets are actually interested in trading him to us for our junk. Sure they probably need to shed salary, but they can likely find other suitors that could give them more, and of course the Nuggets would prefer not to help us out.

My point being "Screw Kuminga for not wanting to be a Laker, we'll just go get Cam Johnson instead" isn't a realistic take at this point.

 

I agree that you're worth what someone is willing to pay you, not what you think you should be paid. If no one is willing to pay Kuminga $20 million, he is by definition not worth $20 million. That said, I also don't blame him for saying hey, before I sign up to play a role and do those things you mentioned on a one year vet-min prove it deal, let me see if there's any opportunity do those same things on a 1 year deal worth more than that.

 

I’m convinced that the Nuggets disdain our Franchise so much, they would only do a one sided Zubac style trade with us.
That being said, I was wrong about Utah trading with us, but they got a very good return.

 

I do believe getting Cam or PJ Washington is difficult, not impossible though. Before the site went down, I think there's a good case to start Thybulle, as he is best used when both Luka/AR are on the floor. Everyone hates Jake, but he started 43 games (more than 50% of the season) in a 53-win season. He can be serviceable and maybe at some point in the season a good deal presents itself.

On Kuminga, we can agree to disagree. All arguments were shared from both sides, I get yours and abeers (2 great posters) but I see different. It's not out of spite or whatever, not I think he should come just because it's the Lakers.
I just think if I was in his position I would focus more in getting the opportunity first, show my value as a starting caliber guy in a championship run and then want my money when the whole league sees my value. He can make +200 million in his career if he plays his cards right, I don't think he is right now

But fully agree with you that if he comes, what he says and how he approaches the season and initial games will be telling. We would hit a freaking jackpot if he comes with the right mindset, I really don't want to minimize how much he helps our ceiling if he turns out good

 

re: you're worth what they pay you: we don't know if anyone offered kuminga their mle before those other guys. we DO know that by what his agent is saying right now, he'd have said no anyway.

if we would have traded rui for kuminga in february, people would have danced in the streets, and the commentariat would have wondered why gs did us such a favor.

 

I think we need to get a deal done before the season starts.

If we start the season in an underwhelming fashion with the current bunch, pressure will start piling up on the FO to trade for a PF, and teams will smell the desperation and start asking for our young players.

It will be a repeat of the center situation of 24/25, where the Mark Williams trade fell through and we ended up with Alex Len, who may be the worst NBA player I've ever seen.

Right now, no one sees us as contenders, so we're in a good position

 

From yesterday on Kuminga



Really not sure how this thing plays out.


Elsewhere

He shouldn't be #1 on any list any more. Miami 's struggling to fill up the retirement home squad to fill out that bench. Read the other day, they're very in on Beal too.



Like on purpose?

 

i don't think anything is happening with kuminga until every single potential big money situation is exhausted. primarily, this means the pending kawhi trade and whatever denver's going to do (they're not just going to pay a zillion in taxes to appease jokic or whatever--somebody's gone).

again, charlotte has a bunch of money they can use, i think, and there are a few exceptions and such floating around.

my guess is the meeting referenced in that cavs/kuminga thing above is the same one he's already had with our guys: how about the vet min and a starting gig?! which they hate and have hated.

as i said, i'm actually ok letting cleveland win that one, tbh.

it's going to be really interesting to hear the various sides of the stories when the dust settles, in any case.

 

Let's talk!!!

 

https://x.com/esidery/status/2082110869681439059

who is this dude?

 

Johnathan Kuminga best fit is the Wolves.


PJ Washington would fit will in LA.

 

Sidery is an aggregator. I’ve found lint in my belly button with more sources than him. He does a great job at getting his name out there to look like an insider, but he knows nothing besides what he scrapes from other sources.

 

OK so I've been gone a week and it seems there's still no movement on the starting PF front.

What's the latest on Kuminga? Still wants 20+M for multiple years or a MLE for a year to prove himself?