This time last year it was Jonathan Kuminga who was holding up other players, with the young forward's restricted free agency forcing veterans like Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II to wait before officially signing with the Golden State Warriors.
We might be less than a week through free agency, but this time it's Kuminga on the other side of the equation, with superstar forward LeBron James giving the former Warrior forward a taste of his own medicine.
Jonathan Kuminga is now on the other side of free agency pause
Kuminga's future isn't exclusively tied to James, but he's nonetheless one of a number of players around the league whose futures have been cast aside somewhat as the NBA comes to a standstill awaiting the 41-year-old's decision.
Kuminga is certainly tied to James if he has an interest in heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers, with NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reporting on Saturday of the franchise's interest in the former seventh overall pick, though their priority remains bringing James back for a third stint.
"Yet it remained unclear as of Saturday morning just how quickly Kuminga's future can be resolved given the ongoing LeBron Sweepstakes. The Cavaliers, for example, are known to be interested in the 23-year-old — with Kenny Atkinson, in particular, said to be a fan after coaching Kuminga in Golden State as an assistant to Steve Kerr — but they are naturally hoping for more time to allow James' process to play out," Stein and Fischer wrote.
It's difficult to see Kuminga and James both landing in Cleveland over the next fortnight, but that would certainly create a weird and not ideal scenario for the Warriors given their previous investment in Kuminga, along with their current pursuit of James where they're seen by many as the likely destination if he doesn't choose the Cavaliers.
Jonathan Kuminga still has multiple suitors in free agency
The good news for Kuminga is that he still has interested suitors as an unrestricted free agent, starting with the Cavaliers and extending to a potential re-signing with the Atlanta Hawks who acquired him, alongside Buddy Hield, in a mid-season trade with Golden State that landed Kristaps Porzingis in the Bay Area.
It would be somewhat surprising if the Hawks brought Kuminga back after choosing to decline his $24.3 million team option for next season, allowing the 23-year-old to enter unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers have also been linked to Kuminga, particularly the latter who are looking to address their wing/forward depth after losing James and presumably Rui Hachimura in free agency.
Kuminga landing with the Lakers, and James with the Warriors, is a genuine possibility and would be an ironic outcome for both teams while setting up some fascinating battles between the pacific rivals next season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google