Overview
- Multiple reports on July 23 say a Lakers sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga is now unlikely because the Hawks resisted taking Jarred Vanderbilt's $13.29 million 2027-28 player option.
- Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent after Atlanta declined his $24.3 million team option, and the Hawks still hold his Bird rights which typically forces sign-and-trade structures for multiyear offers.
- Atlanta's near-luxury-tax position and a 17-player roster have left the Hawks preferring draft capital over added salary in any deal, which cuts off many simple trade paths.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers and other teams remain interested but media reporting says Cleveland will hold off until LeBron James makes his free-agency decision before making a move on Kuminga.
- HoopsHype reports Atlanta could still re-sign Kuminga to a one-plus-one contract, and analysts say his reported $20M–$25M per-year ask may push him toward a short-term or smaller deal if multiyear offers do not materialize.