As the Los Angeles Lakers look for a starting power forward, Jonathan Kuminga has emerged as their top option on the free agent market.
For the Lakers to be able to offer Kuminga a contract he would take, they either need to trade players on the roster to open up salary cap space, or complete a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks that includes outgoing salary. One potential player the Lakers could trade out in Jarred Vanderbilt, but the Hawks reportedly would want L.A.’s 2032 pick swap to do it, per Khobi Price of the California Post:
A source told the Post the Hawks are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer. Los Angeles also has three second-round picks available to trade.
After the Lakers traded two first-round picks and two swaps to the Utah Jazz in a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler, that 2032 swap is their only remaining tradable asset other than three second-round picks. A swap typically holds more value across the league than second-round capital.
But while that may be a steep price for Kuminga, getting off the remaining two years of Vanderbilt’s contract is something the Lakers have been trying to do:
The Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Post who were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, as well as other players on the roster in order to create more roster-building optionality.
Vanderbilt is viewed as a negative asset around the league since he has two years and around $25 million guaranteed money left on his contract. Getting off that contract while acquiring a young, starting-level forward would be killing two birds with one stone for the Lakers, although they likely would prefer parting with second-round draft capital instead of their final available swap.
What Lakers currently are offering Jonathan Kuminga
According to recent reports, the Lakers currently have a two-year, $20 million offer on the table for Kuminga, although he doesn’t seem inclined to take it.
That is why the Lakers are talking to the Hawks about a potential sign-and-trade, as that would allow them to offer Kuminga more money and a deal of at least three years. If that doesn’t end up working out then the Lakers could attempt to trade Vanderbilt or other players elsewhere to free up money to increase their free agent offer for Kuminga.
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