Lakers predicted to outbid Cavaliers for $46 million ex-Warriors rising star, NBA champion
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The Los Angeles Lakers are in an interesting spot in early July.
The 17-time NBA champions have made an array of roster moves to kick out what many expected to be an action-packed offseason, adding Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Quentin Grimes to the Luka-Doncic-led franchise.
Given that Los Angeles has lost LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, Deandre Ayton, and Jaxson Hayes, it isn’t surprising that the franchise has made a strong effort to retool its roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t done yet, though, as The Stein Line’s Marc Stein and Jake Fischer recently reported that the organization is interested in signing former Golden State Warriors rising star and NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has a hunch that the Warriors could outbid the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the few teams linked to Kuminga, for the former unrestricted free agent's services.
“He should, at least in theory, be an all-purpose stopper on the defensive end with physical tools of this quality,” Buckley wrote Monday. “To this point, though, that theoretical impact hasn't translated to the hardwood.”
“It definitely still could, though. He might feel like a known commodity because he has been visible for so long—the Golden State Warriors drafted him seventh overall in 2021—but he might have multiple leap years still in front of him. He has never been entrusted with a full-time starting role, or even anything close to that.”
“There is enough hope, at least, for the Lakers to take the plunge, if for no other reason than the relative dearth of alternatives. While the Lakers fortified their defensive interior with the Walker Kessler sign-and-trade, their wing rotation could use a tooled-up stopper. Quentin Grimes is a capable point-of-attack defender, but his size (6-foot-4, 210 lbs) limits his versatility. Collin Sexton is even smaller and more offensive-minded.”
While Kuminga is undoubtedly flawed, it’s easy to see why the 6-foot-7 wing has landed on the Lakers’ radar. Kuminga is at his best when he can regularly play to his offensive strengths, completing aggressive straight-line drives and using his above-the-rim athleticism to finish around the rim by any means necessary.
The 23-year-old has also exhibited signs of being a high-upside defender who jumps passing lanes and jumpstarts transition opportunities. Kuminga averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists with the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks last season.
Although Kuminga hasn’t been the player several hoped he’d be following his breakout 2023-24 campaign (he averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game), he’s a contributor the Lakers shouldn't be against taking a chance on.
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