New Lakers Rumors on Jonathan Kuminga Pursuit in NBA Free Agency After LeBron James Exit

The Los Angeles Lakers have continued to contact forward Jonathan Kuminga in free agency, according to ESPN's Anthony Slater.

"I can tell you that they keep calling Jonathan Kuminga," Slater reported during a Thursday appearance on NBA Today. "And again, obviously they have not made a lucrative enough offer for Kuminga to jump. But part of their pitch has been, 'Hey, you can come start here potentially.'"

Kuminga could help Los Angeles make up for the absence of LeBron James, as the NBA's all-time leading scorer previously informed the Lakers that he would be playing elsewhere next season.

The Atlanta Hawks declined Kuminga's $24.3 million team option for the 2026-27 season on June 29, making him a free agent.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer previously reported that the Hawks are expected to be "pretty choosy" with sign-and-trade scenarios involving Kuminga, as he's also "open" to remaining in Atlanta on a short-term contract.

The Lakers reportedly could have offered the 23-year-old a two-year deal worth $20 million, but his contract demands were much higher.

Kuminga appeared in 36 combined games with the Golden State Warriors and Hawks last season. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc as a member of both teams.

While Kuminga was never able to exceed expectations in Golden State, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft still recorded 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 50.3/33.1/69.9 shooting splits throughout his tenure with the organization.

As the Lakers look to remain a playoff contender in the Western Conference without James, Kuminga could serve as a complementary scoring option alongside Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.