Ex-Warriors NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga linked to three-team sign-and-trade to Lakers

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Jonathan Kuminga’s NBA future is unclear in late July.

While it goes without saying that the former Golden State Warriors NBA champion forward will play in the big leagues in 2026-27, there’s no telling where he’ll spend his sixth NBA season.

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly still in the mix for Kuminga, and HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto floated the idea of the 17-time NBA champions completing a three-team sign-and-trade for the former lottery pick.

“The Lakers and (Atlanta) Hawks had discussions on a Kuminga sign-and-trade that would’ve involved Jarred Vanderbilt and a Los Angeles 2032 first-round pick swap, as the California Post’s Khobi Price first reported,” Scotto wrote Tuesday.

“However, the Hawks have been resistant to taking on Vanderbilt’s $13.29 million salary for the 2027-28 season, which is a player option.”

“Could a combination of Dalton Knecht and Jaden Hardy, who both have team options for the 2027-28 season, work better in a three-team trade construct involving Kuminga landing with the Lakers and the Hawks getting a traded player exception along with draft pick compensation?”

Considering that the Lakers and Hawks have failed to help a Kuminga-centered sign-and-trade materialize, getting a third team involved wouldn’t be a poor idea.

Swapping Knecht for Kuminga would be the wisest move the franchise could make at this stage of the offseason, as Knecht is moving backward while Kuminga has a far higher upside and could flourish with Luka Doncic as his teammate in Los Angeles.

The 23-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game with the Warriors and Hawks last season, shooting 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Lakers find a way to turn a speculative deal into a legitimate offseason transaction.

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