The Cleveland Cavaliers should absolutely look for creative ways to improve the team in the wake of a crushing playoff defeat. The sooner they realize Jonathan Kuminga is not going to improve their team, the better.
Reports on which teams are interested in which players are coming quickly as the hours tick down to free agency officially beginning at 6:00 PM ET on Tuesday. Sifting through the chaff to find the nuggets of gold is a difficult task, but all of it paints a picture.
Cavaliers rumors are swirling
For the Cavaliers, the picture being painted is of a team largely trying to run it back this season. James Harden is expected to sign a new multi-year deal to stay in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley don't appear to be going anywhere. There has been no chatter about Jarrett Allen or Max Strus being on the move.
In fact, the one substantive rumor of the Cavaliers logging interest in a player came Monday when the Atlanta Hawks declined the team option on forward Jonathan Kuminga, ensuring the mercurial forward would enter free agency. Among the teams interested in Kuminga?
The Cleveland Cavaliers, whose head coach Kenny Atkinson is "fond" of Kuminga from their time together in Golden State.
It is imperative that the Cavaliers come to their sense and realize what the rest of the league already knows: Jonathan Kuminga is fool's gold, a tease of athleticism and upside, and they must stay far, far away in free agency.
Jonathan Kuminga is a problem
Like a siren singing sultry music to passing sailors in The Odyssey, the appeal of Kuminga is strong. He is a phenomenal athlete, making his highlight plays truly spectacular as he explodes to the rim for a thunderous dunk or comes out of nowhere to block a shot. The best of Kuminga is as good as it gets.
The stats are there, too, if you are selective. Kuminga averaged 24 points per game once Stephen Curry went down in the 2025 playoffs. Last year, he dropped 19 and 20 points in two Atlanta victories over the eventual champion New York Knicks.
The overall package, however, comes up lacking. His shot is inconsistent. His defensive attention is all over the place. He doesn't make the little plays that help a team win. He has one good game and three bad ones, where he is merely hunting his own shot.
The league has realized Kuminga's value
The Golden State Warriors tried desperately to turn him into a star, and he fell short. They also couldn't find a willing suitor in the trade market to give back real value to the Warriors; he eventually was mostly matching salary at the deadline.
The Hawks were the next team to get a close look at him, and they decided he wasn't worth keeping around on his contract. They may still work out a new deal, but if something were in place, that likely would have been announced alongside the declining of his option.
And for the coup de grace, who is interested in Kuminga in free agency? The Cavaliers and...the Sacramento Kings. When the Kings are leaping up to excitedly sign a free agent, it's worth taking a beat.
Most of the league knows what the Cavaliers apparently don't: Kuminga isn't worth it. He wants a big role, and he is not good enough to deserve one. He has the athleticism and tools to be a great role player, but his head isn't there yet.
Would Kuminga be a "good value" on a minimum deal? Sure. But he wouldn't be a good fit. The Cavs should look elsewhere to fill their 15 roster slots. Kuminga ain't it.
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