- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,339
- Reaction score
- 59
In a space of roughly 24 hours, the Los Angeles Lakers drastically remodeled their roster. They lost LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart and backup center Jaxson Hayes in free agency, and it looks like sharpshooting forward Rui Hachimura is also set to depart. The Lakers responded by trading two future first-round draft picks for long-coveted center Walker Kessler and getting contract agreements from Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton and Sandro Mamukelashvili.
They have gotten a lot younger, and possibly more athletic. However, their frontcourt depth looks iffy, particularly at both forward spots. Coach JJ Redick could decide to start Luka Doncic or Grimes at the 3, but his options behind them, as well as his options at the 4 spot, are limited.
To that end, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are giving "significant consideration' to signing forward Jonathan Kuminga, as they're looking to land a wing who is a plus defender.
Kuminga is 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, not to mention just 23 years of age, and he possesses ample athleticism. He was the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he won an NBA championship as a rookie with Stephen Curry and crew.
He has always been considered a bit of a disappointment relative to the potential he was thought to have when he entered the league, and he's never been a reliable 3-point shooter. But he has a career average of 12.5 points in 22.1 minutes a game, and he's considered a solid defender who can guard players at multiple positions.
After the signings they made on Wednesday, the Lakers are out of salary cap space to use on other free agent signings. They could trade the contracts of Deandre Ayton, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in order to create some more room or possibly even take back a useful player. Another option could be to use the stretch provision on a player such as Vanderbilt, who has limited value to L.A. because of his almost non-existent offensive skills.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jonathan Kuminga is 'receiving significant consideration' from Lakers
Continue reading...
They have gotten a lot younger, and possibly more athletic. However, their frontcourt depth looks iffy, particularly at both forward spots. Coach JJ Redick could decide to start Luka Doncic or Grimes at the 3, but his options behind them, as well as his options at the 4 spot, are limited.
To that end, per Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are giving "significant consideration' to signing forward Jonathan Kuminga, as they're looking to land a wing who is a plus defender.
Kuminga is 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, not to mention just 23 years of age, and he possesses ample athleticism. He was the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he won an NBA championship as a rookie with Stephen Curry and crew.
He has always been considered a bit of a disappointment relative to the potential he was thought to have when he entered the league, and he's never been a reliable 3-point shooter. But he has a career average of 12.5 points in 22.1 minutes a game, and he's considered a solid defender who can guard players at multiple positions.
After the signings they made on Wednesday, the Lakers are out of salary cap space to use on other free agent signings. They could trade the contracts of Deandre Ayton, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James in order to create some more room or possibly even take back a useful player. Another option could be to use the stretch provision on a player such as Vanderbilt, who has limited value to L.A. because of his almost non-existent offensive skills.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jonathan Kuminga is 'receiving significant consideration' from Lakers
Continue reading...
