Lakers make Luka Doncic pitch to ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga

Jul 07, 2026 - 21:20

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Lakers make Luka Doncic pitch to ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers are serious about signing ex-Golden State Warriors NBA champion forward Jonathan Kuminga.

According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Lakers recently made a Luka Doncic-centered pitch to Kuminga in early July that could pique his interest.

“The Los Angeles Lakers continue to actively pursue unrestricted free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga, but they have not yet given him an enticing enough offer to commit,” Slater wrote Tuesday.

“After his $24.3 million team option was declined by the Atlanta Hawks on June 29, Kuminga met virtually the next day with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick, who pitched him on a vision of being a high-minutes wing next to Luka Doncic in a spacious on-court environment conducive to his skill set, league sources told ESPN."

"The Lakers, however, then went out and used up the majority of their financial wiggle room to secure commitments from Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, leaving little leftover space for an offer to Kuminga."

Kuminga has endured an erratic career thus far, as he’s looked like one of the league’s most promising up-and-coming wings one moment and a fringe rotational player the next.

Kuminga, who was traded from the Warriors to the Hawks midway through the 2025-26 campaign, has the physical tools, motor, and moving/standing athleticism to be a more impactful contributor than he currently is.

The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from deep last season. Perhaps teaming up with a generational playmaker and distributor in Doncic will help bring out Kuminga’s untapped potential in the big leagues.

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