The market is driving down Jonathan Kuminga's price. The Congolese wing, who became a free agent after the Hawks declined his option of $24.3 million, was seeking a contract between $25-30 million annually—an offer no team has made. His realistic options have now narrowed to three destinations: Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, according to sources cited by Brett Siegel.
The doors that have closed
A review of rejected suitors explains the funnel. Atlanta considered bringing him back on a veteran's minimum, but the trades of Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort have definitively closed that door, according to Siegel. There's barely been any rumor about the Clippers. And Milwaukee's interest is a last resort: the Bucks would only pursue him if they fail on their preferred targets, Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin.
It's the complete picture of the restricted free agent logjam and its victims: the three restricted free agents are blocking the market, and those like Kuminga, who are completely unrestricted, are waiting for someone to make the first move.
The three possible destinations
Cleveland is the team that has worked hardest on the deal. The Cavaliers have spent two weeks clearing salary for this purpose—first the trade of Schröder to Charlotte, now searching for an exit for Max Strus and his $16.7 million—though Kuminga competes there with Peyton Watson for the same spot and the same money.
The Lakers have had him as a stated target since July, when they signed Ziaire Williams without giving up on him. And Minnesota appears as the third option, with the sporting appeal of a winning project and the usual limitation: tight salary cap space.
What he offers
His last season was incomplete. After the trade that took him from Golden State to Atlanta, he played just 16 official games with the Hawks, averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. At 23 years old, the 7th pick in the 2021 draft remains a bet on athleticism and potential rather than proven production, and that's exactly what the market is pricing: nobody pays $25 million for a prospect that hasn't fully delivered yet.