Peyton Watson’s move to the Cleveland Cavaliers has ruled them out as a legitimate suitor for Jonathan Kuminga, and Wednesday’s sign-and-trade may have opened the door for the Minnesota Timberwolves to land the former Golden State Warriors forward.
The Timberwolves now have a chance to pair Kuminga with the recently acquired LaMelo Ball, giving them a highlight-fuelled duo that the Warriors passed up on years ago with their fateful picks across the 2020 and 2021 NBA Drafts.
Wolves get chance at LaMelo-Kuminga pairing Warriors passed on
Golden State could have taken Ball second overall in 2020, only to take James Wiseman who wound up between Ball and first overall pick Anthony Edwards. That duo are now teaming up on the Timberwolves after Ball was acquired from the Charlotte Hornets earlier in the offseason.
Assuming the Warriors would have still taken Kuminga seventh overall the following year, there’s a wild but very plausible alternate reality where he and Ball would have been teammates half a decade ago. Who knows how that would have worked out, but we might get some kind of answer if the Timberwolves can now land Kuminga to round out their roster in free agency.
Minnesota’s interest in Kuminga arose some weeks ago, but now looks far more realistic after the Cavaliers acquired Watson on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Lakers still appear the most likely suitor for the former Warrior, yet a move to the Timberwolves could be enticing for Kuminga if he’s forced to take a one-year, prove it contract to try and build his value ahead of another entry into free agency next year.
Minnesota do have a vacant power forward role that Kuminga could slide into and play big minutes, having traded Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets and Naz Reid to the Charlotte Hornets as part of the Ball trade in June.
Timberwolves will be even more must watch if they land Kuminga
There will already be plenty of eyes on Timberwolves games next season to see how Ball and Edwards can gel in the backcourt, and how they cover the departures of Randle and Reid in a now depleted frontcourt.
If the primary answer to that frontcourt hole is Kuminga, suddenly Minnesota may be even more intriguing. With Ball and Kuminga playing significant roles, Minnesota could raise their ceiling but also lower their floor, offering the potential for incredible highlights while not necessarily assisting in their pursuit of a return to the Western Conference Finals and beyond.
Kuminga remains unsigned nearly two months through free agency, with Watson’s move to the Cavaliers only increasing the chances of the former seventh overall pick needing to accept a small, short-term deal as low as the minimum.
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