“Dodged a Bullet”: Lakers Fans Relieved Jonathan Kuminga Didn’t Sign With Them After Underwhelming Preseason

Earlier this summer, Jonathan Kuminga was a free agent. A plethora of teams wanted to acquire him, especially the Los Angeles Lakers. Initially, the Lakers offered Kuminga a three-year contract worth $36 million. However, to everyone's surprise, JK turned down the offer and instead opted to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Now with the Wolves, he's currently under a significantly smaller contract. He signed a two-year deal worth $12.4 million. Apparently, Lakers fans are relieved that the team didn't end up signing Kuminga after an underwhelming preseason performance against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Lakers Fans Express Over Missing Out on Jonathan Kuminga

Jonathan Kuminga played his second game with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. He was looking to bounce back from his eight-point performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday. However, things went south for JK.

Kuminga posted two points, three assists, one rebound, and one steal in 19 minutes of play against the Indiana Pacers. This led to Los Angeles Lakers fans realizing that they're safe from nearly overpaying a player who can't deliver on the hardwood.

"Dodged a bullet," @showtimeluka wrote on X.

"I’m disappointed we let Rui go for cheap, but glad we didn’t get Kuminga," @ETT_Trades wrote on X.

"Lakers fans just woke up feeling a lot better about themselves," @Kirgo wrote on X.

Other fans then noted how terrible Kuminga's shooting stroke was, and how it could affect him further into the regular season.

"Kuminga waiting on preseason games to work on his shot instead of in the gym," @SportsWinn wrote on X.

"All that athleticism and zero NBA skills. He needs to watch old-school players and stop trying to be Steph Curry with the garbage shooting stroke Kuminga has and awful mid-range moves," @Whoq2421 wrote on X.

The good news for Kuminga is that it's only the preseason. His performances before the 2026-27 season have no bearing. JK's performance against the Pacers will also serve him well as he works on his game before the regular season commences.

Jonathan Kuminga's Lackluster Performance Contributes to Wolves' Loss Against Pacers

The Indiana Pacers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 123-112 on Wednesday. It was the perfect way for Tyrese Haliburton to make his return to the hardwood after a career-threatening injury that forced him to sit out the 2025-26 season.

For someone who dealt with a torn Achilles, Haliburton looked good on Wednesday. After 16 minutes of play, Hali added seven points, six assists, two blocks, and one steal.

There was clearly some court rust after shooting only 37.5% from the field. Nevertheless, he played his role as a point guard perfectly by consistently setting his teammates up for success.

Leading the charge for the Pacers was Aaron Nesmith, who scored 19 points, tying with the Wolves' Anthony Edwards, who also scored 19 points.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, Jonathan Kuminga's lackluster two-point game was one of the reasons for their downfall. The four starters, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels, Rudy Gobert, and Edwards, needed a little extra help from Kuminga.

Ball put up 14 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. McDaniels, on the other hand, added 16 points, three rebounds, one steal, and one block. Meanwhile, Gobert posted seven points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

Overall, despite the loss, the Timberwolves already seem to be a solid unit. However, if one of their starting forwards, Kuminga, consistently bombs his games, the team will need to figure out who to replace him in the starting five.