The Cleveland Cavaliers and free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga share mutual interest in the former No. 7 overall pick landing in Cleveland. The Cavaliers were hoping for a different destination for LeBron James, but after he ultimately joined the Philadelphia 76ers, Kuminga has also drawn interest from the Los Angeles Lakers for the upcoming NBA season.
After James decided to sign with Philadelphia, the Cavaliers may try to pivot toward acquiring Kuminga, who is familiar with head coach Kenny Atkinson from their time together in Golden State when Atkinson served as Steve Kerr’s top assistant.
According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, the Cavaliers have been in communication with the 23-year-old forward and his Cleveland-based agent, Aaron Turner, throughout free agency. “Jonathan likes the Cavs, likes (coach) Kenny Atkinson, and (star) Donovan Mitchell likes him,” Turner told The Athletic in a brief interview. Turner added that his client is a fan of the city overall and spent a couple of months training in Cleveland during the 2025 NBA offseason.
How the Cavaliers will get him
While the Cavaliers have some bigger names on their radar that have yet to surface publicly, Kuminga has clearly been among their known targets for weeks. The primary question remains how Cleveland secures him. Vardon reports that Kuminga is seeking somewhere between $20 million and $23 million annually, which would likely require a sign-and-trade with the Hawks.
Jonathan Kuminga reacts during an Atlanta Hawks game.
The Cavaliers could offer considerably less using their taxpayer mid-level exception, but Kuminga is looking for a larger contract. A sign-and-trade would therefore require Atlanta’s cooperation and almost certainly some roster maneuvering from Cleveland.
Max Strus and Dennis Schroder have been mentioned as potential trade candidates, though there is no indication that either player is definitely headed out.
Meanwhile, James Harden’s expected return remains another key piece of Cleveland‘s offseason puzzle. While hurdles exist, the interest in Kuminga is real and mutual. More importantly for the Cavaliers, the team can finally start acting on it now that the month-long wait for LeBron James is officially over.
