Report: Lakers president Rob Pelinka views Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga as fit

The Lakers are once again lurking, and this time the name to watch is Jonathan Kuminga.

According to Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka views Kuminga as a strong fit alongside Luka Doncic. That interest is not new.

Sources previously told NBC Sports Bay Area that the Lakers were monitoring Kuminga as far back as last summer, when his restricted free agency raised the possibility of a qualifying offer path to unrestricted free agency in 2026.

Pelinka, per Johnson, is a fan of Kuminga’s athleticism and likes the idea of adding a powerful wing to a Doncic-led roster. The Golden State Warriors are aware of that interest, though there is skepticism around the league about whether the two teams would actually strike an in-season deal.

Kuminga has appeared in 18 games this season and is currently out of Golden State’s rotation. He is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting just over 43 percent from the floor.

The production has not matched the expectations that followed his role in the Warriors’ 2022 championship run.

The 23-old signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract to close his restricted free agency. The second season is a team option, a detail that only sharpens the trade chatter.

Johnson reports that the Mavericks and Kings have also shown interest. Career-wise, Kuminga averages 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.

The Lakers sit fifth in the West. The Warriors are eighth. Both teams have already swung big, with Los Angeles landing Doncic last season and Golden State bringing in Jimmy Butler from Miami.

Another major move between them would be surprising. Then again, this is the Lakers. Surprising tends to be part of the job description.