The Cleveland Cavaliers are emerging as one of the strongest candidates to acquire Jonathan Kuminga, with the 23-year-old forward becoming a primary fallback option if the franchise is unable to sign LeBron James in free agency.
According to Evan Sidery, the Cavaliers have held discussions with the Atlanta Hawks regarding a potential sign-and-trade framework for Kuminga. Those talks are expected to remain active while Cleveland waits for clarity on James’ decision, allowing the Eastern Conference contender to pivot quickly if the four-time NBA champion chooses another destination.
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Cleveland finished 52-30 during the 2025-26 regular season, good for fourth place in the Eastern Conference, before eliminating the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in a seven-game semifinal series. The Cavaliers’ season ended with a four-game sweep against the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, highlighting the need for additional size, athleticism and scoring on the wing.
Kuminga would address several of those needs. The athletic forward averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 47.6% from the field and 34.6% from three-point range in 16 games for Atlanta after arriving in a midseason trade from the Golden State Warriors.
Although his production dipped in a limited sample, Kuminga has already demonstrated a much higher ceiling. During the 2023-24 season with Golden State, he averaged 16.1 points on 52.9% shooting while establishing himself as one of the Warriors’ most efficient interior scorers and transition threats. Across five NBA seasons, he owns career averages of 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds.
The Cavaliers’ pursuit comes as multiple teams monitor Kuminga’s situation. Atlanta declined the forward’s $24.3 million team option earlier this offseason, making a sign-and-trade the most likely avenue for his next contract.
The Los Angeles Lakers have also remained heavily involved in the race. According to Khobi Price of the California Post, Atlanta is open to helping Los Angeles complete a sign-and-trade built around Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap.
For the Lakers, that route is largely driven by salary-cap restrictions. A sign-and-trade would allow Kuminga to receive a substantially larger contract than Los Angeles could offer using its available cap space, while giving the Lakers another impact wing to pair with Luka Doncic following LeBron James’ departure.
Los Angeles has already reshaped its roster by adding Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Kevon Looney. Even with those moves, the organization has reportedly kept one roster spot open while exploring additional upgrades on the wing.
Cleveland, however, may now represent the most logical basketball fit if James signs elsewhere. Rather than committing significant resources to a 41-year-old superstar, the Cavaliers could add a 23-year-old forward entering his prime who fits their long-term timeline.
