The Lakers’ pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga has reportedly hit a pause, with the latest offseason note suggesting the team is not especially close to landing the free agent forward. That matters because Kuminga has been viewed as one of Los Angeles’ biggest upside swings this summer, but the path to getting him is not simple.
On July 20, 2026, Hoops Rumors reported that momentum had stalled on the Lakers’ chase after months of rumors linking Kuminga to Los Angeles. Dan Woike of The Athletic described the situation as “stalled,” while also noting the Lakers do not appear “overly motivated” to pay a steep price in a deal that would likely require a sign-and-trade.
Why a sign-and-trade is part of the picture
The main obstacle is the market itself. According to the report, Kuminga must rely on a sign-and-trade because no team has enough remaining cap space to offer the contract he is seeking. That leaves the Lakers needing another team’s cooperation if they want to complete the move.
There is also a cost issue on Los Angeles’ side. The report says the Lakers cannot offer any draft assets and that their chest is almost empty, which makes it harder to build a deal that would interest the other side. In other words, the Lakers may like the idea of Kuminga, but they do not have much trade capital to work with.
What it means for the Lakers
For Los Angeles, this is a reminder that interest and traction are not the same thing. Kuminga has been framed as the kind of player who could add upside to the roster, but the Lakers’ current position leaves them limited in how aggressively they can chase him.
That does not mean the possibility is gone. Woike noted that the Lakers could still be “reemerging as a possibility,” which keeps the door open if the market changes or if another team helps structure a deal. But for now, the report points to a stalled process rather than an imminent move.
With summer roster-building moving forward, the Lakers will have to decide whether Kuminga remains worth waiting on or whether they need to turn to a different path. The latest update suggests the first answer is still unresolved.
