Are the Los Angeles Lakers relentlessly pursuing Andrew Wiggins? You could say, yes. If Jovan Buha’s assumption is correct, then Luka Doncic’s demand for wings on the roster is pushing Rob Pelinka. Pushing for Wiggs and sending Dalton Knecht, Rui Hachimura, and Gabe Vincent’s future in jeopardy. But if the front office scanned the trade market a bit closely, they’ll see some more faces. Maybe better options than Wiggs. Maybe players like Jonathan Kuminga and Al Horford, who knows?

The Lakers are projected to have a 2025-26 payroll of approximately $208.2 million, just below the NBA’s second apron threshold of $207.8 million. This includes LeBron James’ salary of $52.6 million and Luka Doncic’s salary of $46.0 million. Luka’s 3-year, $165 million extension, signed in August 2025 and starting in 2026-27, further restricts the Lakers’ financial flexibility in future seasons by committing significant cap space. Being near or at the second apron limits their access to the mid-level exception and imposes strict free-agency constraints, such as prohibiting sign-and-trades and restricting buyout player acquisitions. Thus, Lakeshow hosts Allie Clifford, Chris McGee, and Mike Bresnahan broke down the possibilities for the Lakers.

The Lakers could try their hand at the Jonathan Kuminga situation

Some players would be good both on the court and in the locker room. “Al Horford’s name is still out there. How about that? If you give me one of those two guys, I don’t know, I love having guys like that on the team,” McGee advised. “You think of the veteran presence, and you also think of both of them as stretch bigs. That could give you a few minutes here and there, absorb some fouls, and know how to play.” Well, the ex-Celtics star, Horford, hasn’t signed a deal with the Golden State Warriors amidst the ongoing Jonathan Kuminga drama. However, he plans to sign as the starting center once Kuminga’s RFA stalemate ends.

Meanwhile, the Lakers could find Kevin Love, LeBron James’s ex-Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, a good fit. “He could talk to guys, the relationship he has with LeBron. It could be an awesome fit,” Chris McGee added. Now, with Malcolm Brogdon joining the New York Knicks, the Lakers lose a potential scoring spark. Defense has never been his strength, and his addition would have mainly boosted bench points. Expectations of him heading to the Golden State added to the confusion, but the situation around Jonathan Kuminga remains baffling still. Two weeks from camp, uncertainty lingers, and LA cannot enter training camp with unresolved questions hanging over them.

“It reminds me a little bit of Lamar Odom, probably like 15 years ago, maybe a little longer,” Mike Bresnahan recalled. “He held out for a bit, got something done late in the process, and it’s like, okay, this is happening. You always wonder where a player is coming from. I feel like that got done quicker than this, though.” He added, “It was summer, August 5, a month and a half after free agency started. Back and forth, big deal. I remember LA Times columnists writing about it: ‘Hey, what’s going to happen here?’ It was a big deal.”

In 2009, Lamar Odom navigated a tense standoff with the Los Angeles Lakers. The team initially proposed a four-year $36 million package with $27 million guaranteed and an option year, but Odom turned it down, seeking longer security. The Lakers then pulled their offer, sparking interest from the Miami Heat, who held talks with him. Ultimately, Odom rejoined Los Angeles on July 30 with a four-year $33 million contract including a final-year option, sealing it just before training camp. “This isn’t quite as big a deal because Lamar is a better player than Kuminga, frankly,” Bresnahan added.

He concluded, “We still have to see what Jonathan can do, but I thought all these deals were going to happen, and Golden State would pick up a bunch of people. Maybe Al Horford’s waiting for that. But so far, if you’re the Lakers, you’ve got to be like, ‘Hi, we’re interested for sure.'”

Now, let’s head back to San Francisco. Tension lingers in the Bay as whispers grow louder about Kuminga’s future. Behind closed doors, conversations have turned raw, and the air feels heavy with unanswered questions. As training camp inches closer, the stakes rise. What unfolded between the Warriors and their young forward is about to come into sharp focus.

Jonathan Kuminga is reportedly “miserable” with the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors remain tangled in a lengthy standoff with Jonathan Kuminga that has stretched through the offseason. At the heart of the conflict lies his demand for a player option, something the team has resisted despite placing a three-year, $75.2 million proposal on the table. According to NBA insider Tim MacMahon on ESPN’s The Hoop Collective, the forward feels discontent with his surroundings.

“He’s miserable. He doesn’t want to be in Golden State,” MacMahon explained, adding that Kuminga sees little purpose in chasing maximum earnings and is more interested in a setting that allows growth. “Whether you agree or disagree about his ability, his talent, he wants to go find out. He’s effed around long enough — now he wants to find out.”

ESPN’s Shams Charania echoed this uneasy mood by revealing that recent conversations with Warriors owner Joe Lacob cut right to the core. Lacob asked Kuminga if he wanted to stay. The 22-year-old shot back, questioning if the team valued him, exposing their fractured bond. On the court, Kuminga contributed 15.3 points on 45.4 percent shooting last season, while averaging 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 24.3 minutes per game. Yet numbers alone cannot mask the tension surrounding his future with Golden State.

Drama in Los Angeles feels like tradition, but San Francisco might just be stealing the script. The Los Angeles Lakers keep juggling names, while the Warriors wrestle with a storm they cannot quiet. Contracts, pride, and timing collide, and the clock keeps ticking. Training camp is near. Something has to give. Someone has to blink.