Lakers sign former Warriors center Kevon Looney to a one-year, $3.9 million deal, will compete with Cavaliers and others for Jonathan Kuminga

On July 8, according to renowned reporter Shams, the Lakers have reached a one-year contract with veteran center Kevon Looney. Meanwhile, they are aggressively pursuing forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is an unrestricted free agent. Looney and Kuminga previously played together for the Warriors.

Looney's contract is valued at $3.9 million. Last week, the Lakers traded center Deandre Ayton to the Wizards. After joining, Looney will take on the role of backup center. Looney spent ten seasons with the Warriors, winning three championships, and played for the New Orleans Pelicans last season.

The Lakers still hope to sign Kuminga as well. After the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option on June 30, Kuminga officially became a free agent. League sources say that on the following day, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and head coach JJ Redick held a virtual meeting with Kuminga to outline the team's plan: he would be a high-minute forward in an open offense built around Luka Doncic, a system that maximizes his skill set.

However, the Lakers subsequently used most of their salary cap space to finalize contracts for Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, and Collin Sexton, leaving very little room to make an offer to Kuminga. After signing Looney, the Lakers currently have only one open roster spot remaining.

Even so, the Lakers have not given up on pursuing Kuminga. Multiple team members, including current players, have personally reached out to Kuminga to express their desire for him to join.According to league sources, Pelinka has been in continuous communication with Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner. In recent days, he has slightly increased the offer, repeatedly emphasizing to Kuminga that he is crucial to a lineup built around Doncic, that the team will give him a starting role, and that this opportunity could significantly boost his career.

However, Kuminga and his agent did not immediately accept the offer. They believe that after various offseason signings and trades are completed, he may still have a chance to secure a more favorable contract.

One possible path is a sign-and-trade involving the Hawks. Team sources indicate that the Hawks are willing to facilitate such a move, allowing Kuminga to retain his Bird rights and obtain a desirable contract. However, Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh requires appropriate compensation in return to proceed with the deal.

The Lakers have several tradable contracts to raise their offer, including Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, and Jaden Hardy. But the Lakers will likely need to include their remaining assets—three second-round picks and a 2032 first-round pick swap—to have a chance at completing the trade.

Team sources told ESPN that there is also a possibility Kuminga could return to the Hawks, with both sides agreeing to a contract with a friendlier salary structure than the previous $24.3 million team option. However, no substantive talks have taken place between the two sides yet.

League sources say the Cleveland Cavaliers are also interested in Kuminga.Kuminga is very familiar with Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson—Atkinson served as the lead assistant coach for the Warriors, coaching Kuminga during his first three seasons. However, the Cavaliers are currently fully engaged in the pursuit of LeBron James. Until James's situation is resolved, the Lakers remain the most aggressive team chasing Kuminga.

The Sacramento Kings aggressively pursued Kuminga last offseason and are now testing his interest again. However, the team has limited salary cap space and could only acquire him through a sign-and-trade. The Kings have so far been unwilling to initiate such negotiations.