https://reurl.cc/VnzzNQ
Kuminga’s options are increasingly limited. With Watson headed to Cleveland,
that sign-and-trade destination is off the table for the athletic wing and
shrinks his choices.
Two teams are at the table: The Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota
Timberwolves. Which team is in the driver’s seat depends on which source one
talks to.
Ultimately, Kuminga is stuck because it’s highly unlikely he’s going to get
the money he wants — Atlanta did not pick up his $24.3 million team option
and Kuminga initially hoped for a deal in the ballpark, or at least above the
mid-level exception. He turned down the Lakers’ early offer of two years,
$20 million, with a key role on the team to boost his value and a deal that
gets him back on the market quickly, but Kuminga reportedly rejected that
because he thought it was a lowball. Now, he might be lucky to get that.
The Lakers and Hawks talked sign-and-trade earlier this summer, but those
talks stalled out because Atlanta is not looking to add salary (it is only
$3.8 million below the luxury tax line, and Kuminga currently counts as zero
for them). Or, at least Atlanta is not interested without a quality draft
pick as an incentive, and the Lakers would not go there. Also, Atlanta
currently has 17 players under contract heading into training camp and needs
to shed at least two, not add players.
The Lakers and Hawks are talking sign-and-trade again, with guard Jaden
Hardey reportedly in the conversation (he makes $6 million this season),
while previously that was Jared Vanderbilt ($12.4 million).
Kuminga’s other issue? Any sign-and-trade contract has to be for at least
three years. That would lock him into a deal he believes is below his market
value for longer than he wants.
Which is why Minnesota sits there, with $6 million of its mid-level exception
that he can walk right into, no sign-and-trade. He’d get to play with LaMelo
Ball and Anthony Edwards. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst put it this way on his Hoop
Collective Podcast:
“Watch the Wolves in the next couple days... It’s still open, there’s
still a window for the Lakers to do a Kuminga sign-and-trade. A
sign-and-trade has to be three years. Now that these other doors are closing,
the Timberwolves can close that deal and sign Kuminga.”
Kuminga reportedly likes the idea of playing for the Lakers — who would
start him at the four — as a better fit.
But is he? Kuminga wants to be a scorer, he’s wanted the ball in his hands.
In Los Angeles, where Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have the ball, will he
fit into the system and play a role? It’s the same question in Minnesota.
Before you say “of course he will,” remember that clash was at the core of
his issues with Steve Kerr in Golden State.
Kuminga 现在的选择正变得越来越少。随着 Watson 即将前往克里夫兰，原本可能透过先
签后换加盟克里夫兰的这条路也被堵死了，这名运动能力出色的侧翼球员能选择的下家因
此又少了一个。
目前桌面上有两支球队：洛杉矶湖人和明尼苏达灰狼。至于究竟是哪支球队处于主导位置
，则要看你问的是哪个消息来源。
归根究柢，Kuminga 现在陷入困境，是因为他想要的薪资很可能拿不到——亚特兰大没有
执行他 2,430 万美元的球队选项，而 Kuminga 原本希望拿到一份大约这个价码的合约，
至少也希望高于中产特例。
湖人最早曾开出一份 2 年 2,000 万美元的合约，他拒绝了。这份合约除了薪资之外，也
承诺给他球队中的重要角色，让他有机会提升自己的市场价值，而且两年后就能很快再次
成为自由球员。但据报导，Kuminga 认为这份报价太低，因此拒绝了。现在，他可能反而
会觉得当初那份报价已经很不错了。
湖人和老鹰今年夏天稍早曾谈过先签后换，但谈判陷入停滞，原因是亚特兰大并不想增加
薪资负担——目前他们距离豪华税线只剩 380 万美元的空间，而 Kuminga 目前在老鹰的
薪资帐面上是 0 美元。
或者更准确地说，如果没有高品质的选秀权作为诱因，亚特兰大就没有兴趣进行这笔交易
，而湖人也不愿意付出这样的选秀资产。
另外，老鹰目前在训练营开始前已经有 17 名球员处于合约状态，他们至少还需要清掉两
名球员，而不是再增加一名球员。
现在湖人和老鹰又重新开始讨论先签后换，据报导，后卫 Jaden Hardy 也被放进讨论之
中（他本季薪资是 600 万美元）；之前谈判中涉及的球员则是 Jared Vanderbilt（本季
薪资 1,240 万美元）。
Kuminga 另外还有一个问题：
任何先签后换的合约，至少都必须签 3 年。这代表他可能必须长期绑在一份他认为低于
自己市场价值的合约上，而且时间比他希望的更久。这也就是为什么明尼苏达现在仍然摆
在那里。
灰狼有 600 万美元的中产特例可以直接拿来签下他，完全不需要透过先签后换。而且他
还可以和 LaMelo Ball 以及 Anthony Edwards 一起打球。
ESPN 的 Brian Windhorst 在他的《Hoop Collective》Podcast 中这样说：
“接下来几天注意一下灰狼……湖人要进行 Kuminga 的先签后换，这条路仍然存在，机
会还没完全关闭。先签后换必须签至少三年。现在，随着其他几扇门一扇扇关上，灰狼就
可以把这笔交易谈成，直接签下 Kuminga。”
据报导，Kuminga 比较喜欢加盟湖人的想法——湖人会让他担任四号位（大前锋），他认
为这样的定位比较适合自己。
但真的比较适合吗？
Kuminga 想成为一名得分手，他一直希望球在自己手上、希望有更多持球进攻的机会。
但在洛杉矶，球权主要会在 Luka Doncic 和 Austin Reaves 手上，他真的能融入这套体
系、找到适合自己的角色吗？
而在明尼苏达，其实也是同样的问题。
在你说“当然可以啊，他一定能融入”之前，别忘了——这正是他当年在金州勇士和
Steve Kerr 发生问题的核心之一。