Ziaire Williams is not in this deal, but Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency has gone quiet while LeBron James’s future waits to be decided. That pause leaves the Lakers unable to move cleanly on a forward target that may require a sign-and-trade.
Jake Fischer said Kuminga’s situation is “a bit on pause, on hold, while LeBron’s future is determined,” and added that he “probably could have signed with the Lakers if he was more amenable to what Los Angeles was envisioning.” He also said, “I think Kuminga and his representation are kind of navigating what their market looks like and what they want at this point in time.”
Jake Fischer and Marc Stein
Jake Fischer and Marc Stein discussed the market over the weekend at Summer League, where the delay around Kuminga was described as part of a broader wait on LeBron’s side of the board. Fischer’s language points to a player who is still testing value rather than locking into the first workable path, which is why the market has not moved fast.
Last season, Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors had a lengthy stand-off that eventually came to an unsatisfying conclusion. After his option for $24 million was turned down by the Hawks, Kuminga and his agent were said to be unsatisfied with the offers on the table, and that history explains why he is not rushing into the next deal just to end the process.
Lakers after Wednesday
On Wednesday, the Lakers spent more than a quarter-billion dollars, and that spending left no more salary-cap space. Any move for Kuminga now has to run through a sign-and-trade, and Fischer said the Lakers would need that structure for him or any other player they acquire.
Rob Pelinka once chased after Christian Wood into early September, so this front office has shown it will keep a path open when a target fits. This time, though, the cleanest route depends on LeBron James first, and Kuminga and his representation are still navigating what their market looks like instead of moving quickly toward Los Angeles.
The practical read is simple: until LeBron makes his decision, Kuminga’s market stays in a holding pattern, and the Lakers stay stuck waiting for the one move that can unlock the rest of theirs.
