The Los Angeles Lakers are desperately looking for reinforcements in the market before the February trade deadline. They need to address their defensive fragility by adding a wing. And the recent buzz suggests that Rob Pelinka’s front office is ready to take a flier on Golden State Warriors star Jonathan Kuminga.

According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers are seeking deals that would send Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt out. They’re also looking to trade their first-round pick in 2032 for a couple of lower first-round picks, with the plan to accumulate more trade assets to increase draft capital, which would allow them to combine picks with the aforementioned players.

“The Warriors as a third team, maybe we’re gonna see a situation where Kuminga gets sent to the Lakers for filler plus a pick, then the Warriors send that pick plus other assets to go get a MPJ or Trey Murphy or something like that,” O’Connor reported. “But that’s my understanding right now of what the Lakers are angling to do with their future picks and with the guys on the existing roster.”

Overall, this news comes right after Kuminga “demanded a trade away” from the Warriors, ESPN reported. So, after the Lakers have failed to secure their wishlist All-Defensive wing in Herbert Jones from the New Orleans Pelicans, they will possibly turn to Kuminga.

The Lakers have been in the market in search of a 3-and-D wing with size to provide them with some sort of shield on the perimeter. NBA insider Jake Fischer shared in his column that the Purple and Gold had shown interest in Kuminga ever since the summer standoff in restricted free agency. Despite failing to reach a deal, they have continued to monitor the player.

“I’m told that the Lakers have likewise continued to monitor Kuminga’s situation while casting a wide net to try to find help on a very limited wing market,” Fischer wrote.

Kuminga is currently on a $22.5 million cap hit and will have a club option for next season worth $24.3 million. This falls well within the Lakers’ payroll if they decide to let go of Vincent (expiring contract) and Vanderbilt, who have cap hits of about $11.5 million each.

While Kuminga is a wing and fits the Lakers’ bill, he is still quite different from the likes of Jones or Murphy, who were previously targeted by the Lakers.

How will Jonathan Kuminga fit into the Lakers’ roster?

The 2025-26 season started on a high note for Kuminga until he suffered an injury, and since then, his performances haven’t been the same. He was gradually demoted to the bench. With each passing day, his minutes on the court dwindled, and eventually, he was removed from the rotation by Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, despite being fit. He hasn’t played a game since December 18.

It is an extremely sticky situation that has shattered the young forward’s confidence, so if the deal goes through, he will hope for a new beginning in LA. All he needs is a fresh start to revive his NBA career and land a contract that represents his true potential.

In terms of fit, Kuminga is known for his athleticism, and he will bring that hustle to perimeter defense, which should improve parts of the Lakers’ momentum. However, he is not the profile that they need. They need someone who can direct play amid the chaos to improve their defense overall, whereas Kuminga only brings athleticism and scoring potential. He is defensively decent, but he isn’t like Jones, who would immediately elevate the Lakers’ roster.

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However, given how expensive it could be to strike a deal with the Pelicans, the Lakers need to explore alternative options. Therefore, the move to acquire Kuminga could help them secure a wing in a very limited market. Overall, Kuminga is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest this season across 18 games while shooting 43.1% from the field and a meager 32% from deep.