The Portland Trail Blazers had interest in signing free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga before he ultimately decided to land with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania:
Kuminga chose the Timberwolves over offers from the Lakers, Bulls and Trail Blazers — bypassing a similar starting role and $12M-plus annually over three years in L.A. to land in Minnesota for a shorter-term deal and an ability to have more control of his future, sources said.
The signing would have been another
in relatively low-cost, low-risk moves in an offseason that saw Portland trade for guard Ja Morant at the nadir of his value, sign forward Jeremy Sochan to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, and sign center Branden Carlson to a one-year minimum contract.
The 23-year-old Kuminga joins the Wolves after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3M team option earlier this summer that was part of the two-year deal he signed with the Golden State Warriors the year prior.
Once considered by some as an up-and-coming star, Kuminga’s make-good contract with Minnesota may be the last time to prove his worth as a high-impact player after playing just 36 games last season, averaging 12.2 points, 5.3 boards, and 2.1 dimes on 46% shooting in 23 minutes per game for Atlanta.
