Insider pours cold water on potential Jonathan Kuminga-Lakers trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jonathan Kuminga has surprisingly found himself in the midst of trade rumors involving the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although the Sacramento Kings are the 23-year-old forward’s most realistic suitor, many believed the Lakers could come out victorious in the Kuminga sweepstakes when it was all said and done.
However, that result appears unlikely, as ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel poured cold water on a potential Kuminga-Lakers trade on Monday night.
“Multiple league sources tellClutchPoints that there are no active, ongoing discussions between the Warriors and Lakers regarding Jonathan Kuminga,” Siegel stated on X/Twitter.
“The Lakers do hold interest in Kuminga, but the Warriors have made it clear LA has nothing of value to them. There is no offer.”
Essentially, while the Lakers aren’t opposed to adding Kuminga to the fold this season, the Warriors don’t believe they’ll receive a fair bargain in return. For whatever reason, many franchises lose sight of the fact that the organizations they partner with on the trade market aren’t interested in completing one-sided transactions.
In the Warriors’ case, the seven-time NBA champions don’t want to trade Kuminga just for the sake of it. If a beneficial deal isn’t on the table for them, they would likely retain the former lottery pick past this year’s deadline and scour the offseason trade market once the summer arrives.
Although it’s unclear whether that is the Warriors’ desired approach, Siegel’s report indicates the Lakers don’t have a legitimate shot at securing his services anytime soon.
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