Overview
- Late July reporting shows the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers are the two primary finalists for Jonathan Kuminga but neither has closed a sign‑and‑trade.
- Kuminga is seeking a salary north of $20 million and prefers a sign‑and‑trade from the Atlanta Hawks rather than signing outright.
- The Cavaliers remain a serious suitor and have scheduled meetings with Kuminga but are hamstrung by the NBA’s first‑apron hard cap, which makes assembling an Atlanta‑acceptable package difficult.
- The Lakers have proposed frameworks centered on Jarred Vanderbilt plus draft compensation, but league sources say talks with Atlanta were never ‘meaningful’ and Los Angeles’s offers are viewed as underwhelming.
- If no team improves its trade assets or Kuminga softens on the required three‑year sign‑and‑trade structure, the stalemate could stretch through the rest of the offseason and leave Kuminga unattached or waiting for a late resolution.