Siegel: Both the Lakers and Cavaliers are interested in Kuminga, but the player prefers to join the Lakers.

According to ClutchPoints reporter Brett Siegel on Thursday, both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are interested in Jonathan Cuminga. However, Cuminga himself prefers to join the Lakers.

With the Hawks opting out of their $24.3 million team option for next season this summer, 23-year-old Cuminga has officially become a free agent. He has been linked with several teams, with the Lakers and Cavaliers showing particularly strong interest.

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Lakers believe Cuminga has the potential to start as a wing player. They believe Cuminga can effectively fill the void left by Rui Hachimura's departure and develop good chemistry with key players like Luka Doncic and Austin Reeves.

However, disagreements over salary terms led to a stalemate in negotiations. The Lakers had previously offered Kuminga a two-year, $20 million contract, but this fell short of the player's and his team's expectations. Against this backdrop, both the Lakers and the Cavaliers have begun exploring the possibility of a sign-and-trade deal.

Regarding Cuminga's current trade prospects, Siegel stated clearly on the Clutch Scoops program: "There are currently two teams pursuing him: the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers. I personally believe that he will eventually join the Lakers in some form. As for the specific form, it could be accepting the Lakers' offer of a two-year, $20 million contract, or it could be obtaining a higher salary through a sign-and-trade."

Siegel added, "He doesn't want to accept a contract below the full middle-class exception (MLE) level, and his ideal annual salary is between $14 million and $16 million."

As the 7th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Cuminga began his professional career with the Golden State Warriors. He played four and a half seasons with the Warriors, accumulating 278 regular season games, averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 22.1 minutes per game, with a field goal percentage of 50.3% and a three-point percentage of 33.1%.

Kuminga also played 34 playoff games, averaging 7.0 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists in 11.4 minutes per game. His most notable playoff achievement was undoubtedly winning the 2022 NBA championship with Warriors stars like Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

In February of this year, Kuminga was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a deal involving Kristaps Porzingis. To date, he has played 16 regular season games for the Hawks, averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.1 minutes per game, and has also played in the first round of the playoffs.

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