Jonathan Kuminga Says He Wanted 'Winning Culture' After Snubbing Lakers to Sign with T-Wolves

Veteran forward Jonathan Kuminga cited the Minnesota Timberwolves' "winning culture" as a decisive factor in his decision to sign with the team.

During his introductory press conference Thursday, he said the Wolves had the "best winning culture I could've chosen out of the options."

ESPN's Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported the 23-year-old had other offers from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers were willing to pay him around $12 million annually on a three-year deal, which matches the entire total of his two-year pact with Minnesota.

Historically, the on-court success of the Timberwolves pales in comparison to that of Los Angeles. Heading into the 2026-27 season, they're basically on equal footing. Minnesota can also point to reaching the Western Conference Finals more recently than L.A.

Right now, the Wolves might have fewer question marks in terms of their roster. Acquiring LaMelo Ball was a big shakeup to the status quo, but the Lakers lost LeBron James and hedged a lot of their future on Walker Kessler, who has logged 201 appearances through his first four years.

One could argue Minnesota is better positioned to contend.

As much as Kuminga weighed what he thought the "culture" of each franchise was, the finances played a role in his free agency, too. He's clearly happy to bet on himself for one year with an eye toward next summer:

If Kuminga plays well in Minnesota, he can opt out and return to free agency after a season. He wouldn't have had that kind of flexibility by taking a multiyear contract from the Lakers.