We know who on the Lakers is pushing for a Jonathan Kuminga trade
The latest ripple in the Lakers’ ongoing roster retooling centers on a familiar dynamic: stars using their influence to shape the team’s future. League chatter now points to a growing internal push for Los Angeles to explore a trade for Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, with LeBron James widely believed to be among those intrigued by the 21-year-old’s upside.
Kuminga represents exactly the type of athletic, two-way wing the Lakers have often lacked around James and Anthony Davis. He’s long, explosive, and still early in his development curve, with enough flashes of self-creation and defensive versatility to make front offices wonder what he might become in a larger role. For a Lakers team that has leaned heavily on veteran role players, the idea of adding a young, high-ceiling forward is understandably appealing.
From a league perspective, this kind of star-driven interest is nothing new. James has a long history of advocating for players who fit his vision of winning basketball: length on the perimeter, switchable defense, and enough offensive skill to punish mismatches. Kuminga checks those boxes in theory, even if his game remains inconsistent at times.
The Warriors’ situation complicates everything. Kuminga is both a present contributor and one of Golden State’s few true long-term building blocks. Any serious Lakers offer would need to balance win-now help for the Warriors with future assets, a tricky equation for a franchise that has already spent heavily on picks and swaps.
There is also a stylistic fit to consider. In Los Angeles, Kuminga wouldn’t be asked to be a primary creator. Instead, he’d be empowered as a downhill cutter, transition finisher, and multi-positional defender next to two established stars. That kind of defined role has elevated similar young forwards across the league.
Whether this interest ever progresses beyond internal lobbying and exploratory calls remains to be seen. But the fact that influential voices in the Lakers’ hierarchy are eyeing Kuminga underscores a clear organizational priority: get younger, get longer, and find the next difference-maker who can grow alongside, and eventually beyond, the LeBron–AD era.
Kuminga represents exactly the type of athletic, two-way wing the Lakers have often lacked around James and Anthony Davis. He’s long, explosive, and still early in his development curve, with enough flashes of self-creation and defensive versatility to make front offices wonder what he might become in a larger role. For a Lakers team that has leaned heavily on veteran role players, the idea of adding a young, high-ceiling forward is understandably appealing.
From a league perspective, this kind of star-driven interest is nothing new. James has a long history of advocating for players who fit his vision of winning basketball: length on the perimeter, switchable defense, and enough offensive skill to punish mismatches. Kuminga checks those boxes in theory, even if his game remains inconsistent at times.
The Warriors’ situation complicates everything. Kuminga is both a present contributor and one of Golden State’s few true long-term building blocks. Any serious Lakers offer would need to balance win-now help for the Warriors with future assets, a tricky equation for a franchise that has already spent heavily on picks and swaps.
There is also a stylistic fit to consider. In Los Angeles, Kuminga wouldn’t be asked to be a primary creator. Instead, he’d be empowered as a downhill cutter, transition finisher, and multi-positional defender next to two established stars. That kind of defined role has elevated similar young forwards across the league.
Whether this interest ever progresses beyond internal lobbying and exploratory calls remains to be seen. But the fact that influential voices in the Lakers’ hierarchy are eyeing Kuminga underscores a clear organizational priority: get younger, get longer, and find the next difference-maker who can grow alongside, and eventually beyond, the LeBron–AD era.
