Jonathan Kuminga Turned Down More Lakers Money to Bet on Himself With the Timberwolves

Jonathan Kuminga had a bigger, longer offer sitting on the table from the Lakers. He turned it down anyway — and signed a shorter, cheaper deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves instead, betting that a guaranteed starting job now is worth more than guaranteed money later.

Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million contract with the Timberwolves on August 26, carrying a player option for the 2027-28 season. Multiple outlets report the Lakers had offered a three-year sign-and-trade worth over $12 million annually — more total money and more years of security than Minnesota's deal.

The player option is the whole story here: it lets Kuminga return to unrestricted free agency next summer, when more teams are expected to have cap space, rather than locking him into a longer, cheaper deal now. Minnesota also reportedly promised him a starting spot immediately, in a lineup already built around Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert — a level of on-court opportunity the Lakers apparently couldn't match.

Kuminga's past year has been a whirlwind: after averaging 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds in 20 games for Golden State, he was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks in a package centered on Kristaps Porziņģis. Atlanta then declined his $24.3 million team option in June, making him an unrestricted free agent, despite Kuminga averaging 13.7 points off the bench in 16 games and helping push the eventual champion Knicks to six games in the playoffs' first round. The Bulls and Trail Blazers were also reportedly in the mix before Minnesota won out over the Lakers.

Reporting on the move has framed it squarely as a bet on himself: taking a lower guaranteed number now in exchange for control over where he plays as soon as next summer, rather than accepting the Lakers' bigger, longer commitment. No direct quotes from Kuminga or his camp have been published yet.

Kuminga is expected to open the season as a starter for Minnesota. Whether the gamble pays off depends entirely on how his year goes — a strong season alongside Edwards and Ball could make him one of next summer's most sought-after free agents; a rocky one could leave him negotiating from a weaker position than the Lakers' offer would have guaranteed.

Kuminga chose upside over security — less money and fewer years now, in exchange for a real chance to reset his market next summer as a starter rather than a bench piece.