The Minnesota Timberwolves are signing Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, $12.4 million deal that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday. Kuminga, who saw his free agency drag out deep into the offseason for the second consecutive summer, picked the Timberwolves over the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers, per ESPN.

Minnesota pitched Kuminga, 23, on sliding into the starting lineup next to LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert, per ESPN. He reportedly chose the short-term deal with the Timberwolves over a more lucrative offer from the Lakers via a sign-and-trade at three years and “$12 million-plus annually.”

To fit Kuminga’s $6.1 million salary below the second apron, the Wolves will need to make a roster move. The deadline to stretch a player is Saturday and Josh Green reportedly is the player heading out of Minnesota to complete the transaction. The Wolves will waive and stretch Green before Saturday’s deadline if they cannot find a trade partner, ESPN is reporting. 

Last summer, Kuminga was one of the last players in the 2025 free agency class after a long standstill in restricted free agency with the Golden State Warriors, who selected him No. 7 overall in the 2021 draft. In the end, Kuminga signed a two-year, $48.5 million deal to return to Golden State as a restricted free agent rather than accept the $7.9 million qualifying offer.

Kuminga, 23, averaged 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 20 appearances with the Warriors before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a package centered around Kristaps Porziņģis. He appeared in 16 regular-season games with Atlanta and averaged 13.7 points per game off the bench as the Hawks took the eventual champion New York Knicks to six games in the first round of the playoffs. 

Despite his productivity in significant postseason minutes, the Hawks declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option, making him an unrestricted free agent. Earlier this offseason, it was reported that a handful of teams — including the Lakers — explored sign-and-trades to land Kuminga, but no agreement was reached.

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Now Kuminga is headed to the Wolves on a short-term deal that will give him the flexibility to become a free agent again next offseason. But before he potentially hits the market again, here is how Kuminga fits in Minnesota and why the short-term investment could pay dividends.

Why Kuminga is worth the gamble for Minnesota

Kuminga remains one of the biggest mysteries in the NBA. He has shown untapped potential at multiple points throughout his career, which made the Warriors hold onto him for almost too long instead of trading him away for a player who better fit their win-now timeline.

Ironically, one of his best stretches of Kuminga’s career came against his new team in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, when he averaged 20.8 points per game in an expanded role while Steph Curry was out with a hamstring injury. Another came on opening night of the 2025-26 season when he did a little bit of everything in a win over the Lakers.

However, an inconsistent role with the Warriors over the last several years finally hit a tipping point earlier this calendar year when the franchise traded him away, ending a years-long saga between the two sides. Still, Minnesota signing Kuminga should be viewed as a low-risk, potentially high-reward move that could elevate the team with the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs atop the Western Conference hierarchy. 

Adding Kuminga fills a clear need for another forward after trading Julius Randle and Naz Reid earlier this offseason. Kuminga has a playstyle that fits next to Edwards and Ball, but the biggest point of emphasis of this new partnership is establishing a clear-cut role from Day 1. Kuminga, as he did in the series against the Timberwolves, showed he can be a focal point of an offense on a given night. 

However, he will likely be the third or fourth option next to two offensive engines in Ball and Edwards and two All-NBA defenders in Gobert and McDaniels. If Kuminga outplays his contract, he will likely decline his player option and hit unrestricted free agency again, where he could be in line for a larger payday while more teams have cap space.

If Kuminga can buy into a role as a connector on offense, finish shots at the rim consistently, and use his athleticism to play high-level defense, this risk will pay off big time. And if it doesn’t? Kuminga will likely find himself in a similar situation next summer, where his free agency gets dragged into the dog days of the NBA offseason.