People seemed to be split on whether Jonathan Kuminga would've truly helped the Los Angeles Lakers take the next step toward championship contention. The team pursued him for much of this summer and was reportedly aiming to make him a starter at the forward position.
But just days ago, Kuminga chose the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Lakers. He reportedly agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal, which isn't exactly anywhere close to the type of money he was reportedly looking for.
Aaron Turner, Kuminga's agent, said that the 23-year-old chose Minnesota because he wants to commit to the defensive end of the court. NBA insider Brian Windhorst provided some additional insight into the decision during a recent episode of "The Hoop Collective" podcast.
“He made $20 million last year, and he’ll make about $6 (million) and change which is about mid-level money. ... The Lakers were interested in bringing him in via sign-and-trade. And all sign-and-trades have to be at least for three years, I believe. And they don’t have to be guaranteed for three years -- they have to be for three years. And so Kuminga didn’t want to be in a three-year deal.
“So this is one of those things where, yeah, he turned down more money, but he turned down more money, understandably, because even though he’d make more this year, he would want to set himself up. And so he’s betting on himself.”
The Lakers offered Kuminga roughly $12 million a year, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania. Last summer, the former lottery pick was engaged in a protracted contract dispute with the Golden State Warriors. He turned down a three-year, $75 million offer and ultimately accepted $48.5 million over two years.
The Warriors traded Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks in February after coach Steve Kerr benched him. Now, as Windhorst said, he will be betting on himself, and if he becomes the type of player he has always been capable of becoming, he could set himself up for a handsome payday in the near future.
But if he continues to display lapses in concentration and dedication on the defensive end and be a ball-stopper on offense, the offers he receives in the future may not be better than even the one Los Angeles made to him this summer.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Brian Windhorst on why Jonathan Kuminga turned down Lakers' offer
