New NBA Rumors on Jonathan Kuminga Sign-and-Trade in Free Agency Amid Cavs Buzz

As the Cleveland Cavaliers wait to see if they are going to win the LeBron James sweepstakes, their front office is also working on potential contingencies if things don't go in their favor.

Per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Jonathan Kuminga is regarded as a "fallback" plan for the Cavs as he waits for a resolution to his ongoing free agency.

The report also notes the Atlanta Hawks are expected to be "pretty choosy" as far as sign-and-trade scenarios they would be willing to accept for Kuminga, who is also "open" to remaining in Atlanta on a short-term deal.

Atlanta's interest in retaining Kuminga may have been complicated on Sunday when it acquired Lu Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a three-team trade that also included the Dallas Mavericks.

The Hawks' wing rotation right now is deep with Dort, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Aaron Wiggins. There's no obvious fit for Kuminga in that group, but there also isn't much money left for other teams to spend with most free-agent business done.

Kuminga's camp was reportedly seeking a deal in the range of $20 million per season earlier this month. A sign-and-trade would be the only way he could come close to getting that, but there's no obvious suitor to pay that amount.

The Cavs have already lost key talent from their team due to apron concerns with Dean Wade signing with the Philadelphia 76ers. They could theoretically package Dennis Schröder and Sam Merrill, who will make a combined $24 million next season, if they wanted to add Kuminga on a contract close to what he is believed to be seeking.

There's also the question of how much value Kuminga really has. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16 appearances for the Hawks after being acquired from the Golden State Warriors.

If the Cavs are unable to land James, potentially adding Kuminga to join a rotation with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and James Harden (expected to return, but still unsigned) would at least boost their depth as they look to take a step forward after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season.