RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Jonathan Kuminga is finally off the free-agent board, signing a two-year, $12.4 million deal to join the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kuminga had a long list of suitors hoping to land him at a discount, with teams like the Lakers, Bulls, and others all linked to him during his two months as a free agent.
The Lakers seemed to be the closest to the Timberwolves in terms of being a credible destination for Kuminga, and reportedly offered the 23-year-old a more lucrative contract.
Jonathan Kuminga wanted flexibility instead of the biggest payout
According to Shams Charania , Kuminga had an offer that would have paid him over $12 million annually over three years from the Lakers but chose Minnesota’s shorter deal for future flexibility.
“Kuminga chose the Timberwolves over offers from the Lakers, Bulls and Trail Blazers — bypassing a similar starting role and $12M-plus annually over three years in L.A. to land in Minnesota for a shorter-term deal and an ability to have more control of his future.”
Instead of tying his future up for three years and $36 million, Kuminga will try to re-enter free agency next season after earning $6.06 million with the Wolves this season.
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He is betting on himself to shine as the presumed starting power forward in Minnesota and get a bigger contract in next year’s free agency rather than perform well and be underpaid for two additional seasons as a Laker.
Kuminga averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Warriors and Hawks last season.
Lakers could not have given Jonathan Kuminga a shorter deal
The Lakers could not offer Kuminga a two-year, $24 million deal to double the Wolves’ offer to gain his services.
Three years is the minimum required number of years on a free-agent sign-and-trade contract, so the Lakers presumably would have had a deal in place to shed around $12 million to give Kuminga the offer they did.
The Timberwolves signed Kuminga outright on a two-year deal to help Kuminga potentially seek a better contract next summer.
This likely will be a one-season rental for the Wolves, unless Kuminga performs so well that they have to make moves to bring him back.
The Lakers would have had a starting power forward locked up for the rest of the decade if Kuminga signed on, but if their interest was real, they are free to take a shot again next summer.
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