Updated

Updated · Silver Screen and Roll · Jul 5

Lakers Target Jonathan Kuminga for Wing Spot, Not Re-signing Rui Hachimura in Free Agency

Updated

Updated · Silver Screen and Roll · Jul 5

Lakers Target Jonathan Kuminga for Wing Spot, Not Re-signing Rui Hachimura in Free Agency

Q: By chasing Kuminga and trading Ayton, have the Lakers created more roster problems than they have actually solved?

Not yet, but the Lakers are clearly taking on new risk to fix an obvious one. Their logic is straightforward: the roster had a real hole on the wing, and Jonathan Kuminga fits it better than Rui Hachimura. Kuminga is younger, more athletic, and a stronger perimeter defender, which matters more for a team now building around Luka Dončić and trying to get longer and faster. Hachimura was productive offensively and shot well, especially in the playoffs, but the Lakers viewed him more as a power forward and not the answer to their small-forward problem. The Ayton trade was also understandable financially, but it did not solve everything. Moving Ayton for Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks created only modest cap relief, roughly $2.1 million, while also weakening the Lakers’ center depth. Ayton was not seen as a long-term starter behind Walker Kessler, but he still gave them size and playable frontcourt minutes. Now they have more urgency to add another big man, with Al Horford among the names linked. So the Lakers have not necessarily created more problems than they solved, but they have shifted the pressure elsewhere. If they land Kuminga and add a reliable backup center, the strategy will look coherent. If they miss on Kuminga, they will have lost Hachimura, downgraded frontcourt depth, and opened cap space without fully converting it into a better roster. That is the real gamble.

3 articles · Updated · Silver Screen and Roll · Jul 5

League expectation has shifted toward the Lakers pursuing Jonathan Kuminga for their wing opening, with Rui Hachimura now not expected to return.
The push reflects roster fit and cap strategy: Los Angeles wants perimeter defense and athleticism at small forward while creating space to add a wing and another big man.
Friday's deal with Washington to swap Deandre Ayton for Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks was part of that reshaping effort.
Kuminga may not wait long — the Cavaliers are interested and the Hawks could also bring him back — leaving the Lakers racing to clear enough room before he comes off the market.
Hachimura, still unsigned with limited suitors, remains a possible fallback only if the fluid free-agent market forces the Lakers to change course.