Matt Johnson
The Sacramento Kings have been quiet in NBA free agency, largely only making an unsuccessful run at Detroit Pistons‘ restricted free agent Jalen Duren. However, there’s another player who is reportedly on the team’s radar.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the Kings have “called to circle back in recent days” to keep in contact with free-agent wing Jonathan Kuminga. However, there’s going to be significant competition for him.
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That’s because Kuminga seems to have interest league-wide. The Atlanta Hawks are open to re-signing him, executives with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks are giving him consideration, and the Los Angeles Lakers are known to have interest in him.
Kuminga, a 6-foot-7 forward, was acquired by Atlanta ahead of the NBA trade deadline this past season in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. He showed real promise early, averaging 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 67.7 percent from the field in his first three games with the club.
However, his production tailed off after that. Kuminga averaged just 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.7 steals per game in Atlanta’s final 13 regular-season contests, shooting just 42.1 percent from the field. He then shot 48.3 percent during the postseason, finishing with a minus-56 plus/minus.
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Physical talent and athleticism aren’t the question with Kuminga, who will only be 24 years old in October. However, he wore out his welcome with the Golden State Warriors and quickly lost the trust of head coach Steve Kerr because of his inconsistency and effort.
While he does make some sense for Sacramento, it’s also worth noting that Sam Amick of The Athletic has previously reported that he doesn’t expect the Kings to pursue Kuminga. Given Amick’s history with Sacramento and his strong ties to the organization, it seems unlikely that Kuminga winds up joining the Kings.
