The Los Angeles Lakers continue to keep one roster spot open, and ESPN insider Dave McMenamin says the organization views that vacancy as one of the most important remaining pieces of its offseason.
Speaking on NBA Today, McMenamin reported that free-agent forward Jonathan Kuminga remains firmly on the Lakers’ radar despite the team’s limited financial flexibility.
“There’s one empty roster spot remaining — they view this final spot as a very important piece to their potential puzzle,” McMenamin said. “One guy they’re speaking to — Jonathan Kuminga, and right now he’s without a team.”
Kuminga has emerged as one of the Lakers’ primary free-agent targets after Los Angeles reshaped its roster around Luka Doncic. The franchise has already added Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili this offseason, but finding an athletic two-way forward remains a priority following LeBron James’ departure.
According to the Los Angeles Times’ Brad Turner, the Lakers have explored offering Kuminga a two-year, $20 million contract. However, McMenamin explained that Los Angeles currently lacks the salary-cap flexibility to make a significantly more competitive offer without further roster changes.
“The Lakers currently don’t have anywhere close to that to offer him,” McMenamin said. “They would have to do some maneuvering, perhaps doing another trade, use those two second-round picks that they got from Washington in the Ayton deal to maybe attach someone like a Dalton Knecht or Jarred Vanderbilt to a trade to free up some cap space to give him a better offer than the veteran minimum.”
Those comments align with previous reporting that Los Angeles could pursue a sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks if it decides to increase its financial commitment. Contracts such as Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht or Jaden Hardy could be included in a deal, along with draft compensation, to make a transaction workable.
For now, the Lakers’ strongest selling point appears to be opportunity rather than money.
McMenamin reported that the organization is using a recruiting strategy centered on Kuminga’s long-term earning potential. Instead of matching larger offers immediately, Los Angeles is pitching a short-term sacrifice that could position the 23-year-old for a much bigger contract in the future.
“But certainly, they’re trying to pitch opportunity,” McMenamin said. “You will come here, you’ll play on the biggest stage in basketball, and you may have to take a pay cut for a year or two, but you can get back into the big dollars.”
To reinforce that message, McMenamin pointed to a recent example from the Lakers’ own history.
“Malik Monk did that years ago for the Lakers,” he said. “He’s made close to a hundred million in NBA contracts with the Sacramento Kings since.”
Kuminga is reportedly weighing his options after Atlanta declined his $24.3 million team option. While larger financial opportunities could still emerge elsewhere, the Lakers continue to emphasize a potential starting role alongside Doncic on a team that finished 53-29 last season before being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.
The 23-year-old averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range in 16 games with Atlanta following his midseason trade from the Golden State Warriors. Across five NBA seasons, Kuminga has posted career averages of 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, with his best campaign coming in 2023-24, when he averaged 16.1 points on 52.9% shooting.
