Ex-Warriors Jonathan Kuminga's agent reveals real reason he picked Timberwolves over Lakers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Jonathan Kuminga free agency cycle was an interesting one to watch, as he seemed to be favored to go to a different team every week. Kuminga and his camp have also been known for being difficult to negotiate with throughout his short career.
The 23-year-old NBA champion had a slow offseason last year with the Golden State Warriors. Late this summer, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed like the team most likely to land him.
“Jonathan Kuminga landing with the Los Angeles Lakers seems inevitable at this point. On Tuesday, it appeared Kuminga had three suitors remaining in his free-agent sweepstakes: the Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Lakers," New York Post's Valentina Martinez wrote.
With the Cleveland Cavaliers off the board and the Minnesota Timberwolves seemingly viewed as a long shot, everything appeared to be lined up for LA. However, it was Minnesota that ultimately got Kuminga to agree to a deal.
“Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, plus a player option, agent Aaron Turner tells ESPN. Kuminga will be a starter alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on the West contender,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
To some, it was surprising to see why Kuminga would choose the Timberwolves over the Lakers. His agent told The Athletic that the decision ultimately came down to where Kuminga believed he would be the best fit.
“We sat at the gym this week, and I asked him, what’s the best basketball situation?” Kuminga’s agent Aaron Turner said. “He said Minnesota. Well, nothing else matters. Why would you go anywhere else?”
It is obvious that Kuminga was more attracted to playing alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and the rest of Minnesota’s roster than Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. It was a shocking decision, but he may have ultimately landed in the better situation for his career.
The Timberwolves are set up to make a deep playoff run with their current roster, while the Lakers still have more questions than answers. Kuminga was smart to prioritize team success by going to Minnesota, which could help explain why he was willing to take a pay cut.
More NBA news:
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- Ex-Warriors 4-time champion Klay Thompson details why he picked the Miami Heat over Lakers
- Warriors reportedly land $15M former first-rounder who was waived by 76ers for LeBron James
- Lakers predicted to sign $83M veteran lob threat with Finals experience to pair with Luka Doncic
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