With training camp coming up and free agency winding down, a couple of quality NBA players remain unsigned. Outside of restricted free agents Jalen Duren and Bennedict Mathurin and veteran DeMar DeRozan, one unsigned name stands out.
Jonathan Kuminga is looking for a spot after having a solid second half of the season with the Atlanta Hawks last season, but after his team option was declined, he'll be going elsewhere. The problem is that he wants money and minutes that teams just don't have available this late in the offseason.
The Minnesota Timberwolves might not be able to offer him the most money. However, they do have a starting spot with his name on it if he's willing to take a discount, which I strongly believe would be in his best interest.
These three reasons are why the Wolves make the most sense as Kuminga's next team.
The Timberwolves can offer him a starting spot on day one
Sure, maybe a team like the Sacramento Kings or the Milwaukee Bucks can offer Kuminga a starting spot as well, but those teams aren't extremely structured, and he wouldn't really change the perception of him putting up empty stats on teams projected to lose 60 games in a season.
The NBA world knows that Kuminga can score; that's never been the concern. It's his ability to fit into a role and do other things on the basketball court consistently, other than scoring. No team is going to pay Kuminga and give him the keys to their offense along with 20 shots a game, but if he shows that he can complement stars perfectly and play his role to perfection, his value can soar.
This would be his role in Minnesota: he would start at power forward, and he would likely be asked to be an active cutter and a corner 3-point shooter, and he would potentially be given some creating opportunities in the event that LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards miss time. He would also be asked to be a lot more consistent on defense, as he has the raw tools to be elite on that end.
Kuminga can play a big role on a championship contender
Similar to the first reason with the role, but I think his perception in the league could do a complete 180 if he's a starter on a team that goes to the conference finals, or dare I say even farther. If he just wants to be a volume scorer on bad teams and go down the Cam Thomas-esque path, then he'll always struggle to find roles in the NBA. Regardless, if he can buy in on a winning team, he has the chance to have an elite reputation.
The Wolves are the perfect spot for that. Chris Finch will coach him hard, and he will expect Kuminga to hone in on specific skills, but if he can do that, he'll likely make significantly more money for himself in the long run.
He will feast playing with LaMelo Ball
Do you remember how elite Miles Bridges looked playing with Ball? Sometimes he looked like an all-star-caliber forward. Well, Bridges and Kuminga are eerily similar players. Both are jump-out-of-the-gym athletes, elite in transition, inconsistent but capable 3-point shooters, and they should be better defenders than they are, given their athletic tools.
Now, maybe part of the reason Bridges never reached his defensive potential was the subpar culture Charlotte instilled for a while, and with Kuminga, it could have been the lack of a consistent role in Golden State. Nevertheless, I would expect Kuminga to take a sizeable defensive leap on the Wolves with the infrastructure he'd have around him.
On offense, the Ball-Kuminga pairing would be cinema. It would be a lot of ridiculous lobs, outlet passes, and a true highlight factory. Ball would no doubt give Kuminga the easiest looks he's gotten as an NBA player.
Maybe Kuminga doesn't end up signing here, whether that's money-driven or something else, but if he wants a guaranteed role and to be a part of a great team that has a need for his skill set, he'd be crazy to turn down this opportunity.
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