LAS VEGAS — The Lakers want Jonathan Kuminga. 

Jonathan Kuminga, also, wants to be a Laker. 

But as of Wednesday afternoon, over a week into the start of free agency, the two sides remained far apart on what it would take to bring the 23-year-old forward to L.A. despite the mutual interest. 

After the Hawks declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option on June 29, Lakers president of basketball operations/general manager Rob Pelinka and coach JJ Redick met with Kuminga the following day.

A part of the Lakers’ free-agency pitch to Kuminga, a source told the California Post, was the Lakers seeing Kuminga as a high-level, starting wing who would complete the vision of their roster reconstruction around superstar guard Luka Doncic.

That vision included re-signing Austin Reaves and acquiring a marquee center this offseason – both of which were executed after Reaves agreed to a four-year $185 million deal to return to L.A. and the Lakers agreed to a four-year, $130 million with Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade with the Jazz.   

But the Lakers’ initial offer to Kuminga didn’t back up the vision they were pitching to him.

From there, the Lakers, who entered the offseason with around $52 million in salary cap space, agreed to deals with several players on July 2 that ate into that cap space: Kessler, Quentin Grimes (four years, $60 million), Sandro Mamukelashvili (four years, $52 million) and Collin Sexton (two years, $19 million).

Since then, they opened up more cap space (around $2.1 million) by trading Deandre Ayton to the Wizards for Jaden Hardy and a pair of Washington’s second-round picks (2031 and 2032) but that space essentially vanished when they agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Kevon Looney that counts $2.49 million against the cap since it’s a veteran minimum’s deal.

That has left the Lakers with one open roster spot and little financial flexibility while still pursuing Kuminga. Pelinka has stayed in touch with Kuminga’s agent, Verus Management Team president Aaron Turner, over the last week as the franchise has made their moves. 

The Lakers have improved their offers to Kuminga up to a deal that would include an average annual salary around $10 million – which is less than the salaries of Grimes ($13.9 million) and Mamukelashvili ($13 million). 

And less than what was expected for the vision of how the Lakers saw Kuminga, who the Lakers pursued as a restricted free agent last summer.

Kuminga’s side feels there are better options for Kuminga if he joins the Lakers.

The main option that could help the Lakers acquire Kuminga: A sign and trade with the Hawks, which would allow Kuminga to receive a higher salary than the Lakers are able to offer him as an unrestricted free agent.

A source told the Post the Hawks are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer.  

Vanderbilt has two years and $25.7 million left on his four-year, $48 million contract extension he signed with the Lakers in September 2023. He has a $12.4 million salary for 2026-27 and a $13.3 million player option for 2027-28. 

The Lakers have been willing to trade Vanderbilt, according to multiple sources who spoke with the Post who were granted anonymity so they could speak freely, as well as other players on the roster in order to create more roster-building optionality.  

The Cavaliers have also expressed interest in Kuminga, a source said.

The Lakers are projected to be $33.7 million below the $209 million first apron threshold that they’re hard-capped at once all of the moves they’ve agreed to so far are official.