New Lakers Rumors on Jonathan Kuminga After Walker Kessler Trade & Sexton, Grimes, Sandro Contracts
After a slew of transactions on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly aren't done tinkering with their roster.
According to The Athletic's Dan Woike, Los Angeles "is still seeking a young wing to help its perimeter defense," and the team already has a target in mind.
"A high-upside swing receiving significant consideration, per league sources, is former Golden State Warrior and Atlanta Hawk Jonathan Kuminga, whose $24.3 million team option was recently declined by Atlanta," Woike stated.
The Lakers addressed multiple needs by acquiring center Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz and signing power forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, shooting guard Quentin Grimes and point guard Collin Sexton. Still, they will need to shore up their defense behind star guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The Warriors sent Kuminga to the Hawks at the trade deadline this past season, but he didn't do much with his newfound opportunity. After a 27-point debut for Atlanta, he reached the 20-point mark just two more times during the regular season. He played in all six of the team's games against the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs and averaged 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds.
At 23 years old, Kuminga still has a lot of room to grow. He's already known as a consistent defender, but many are still waiting to see him live up to his full potential.
The Lakers could be the team that brings out the best in Kuminga, so it will be interesting to see how aggressively they pursue him this summer.
