It’s an interesting twist that the remainder of the offseason of the Los Angeles Lakers seems to come down to whether the team can lure Jonathan Kuminga to the purple-and-gold. The Lakers had an offer on the table for Kuminga that would have allowed him to come to L.A. on a short-term deal, build up his value around the NBA, then go back on the free agent market next summer, when there would be more money available and when Kuminga could cash in, especially if he played well this year.

Things have gotten more complicated though, as the Kuminga rejected that notion and instead wants a heftier deal. The Hawks, remember, turned down a $24 million team option to keep Kuminga around, and they could still ultimately re-sign him.

The Lakers still have designs on Kuminga, though, and have not ruled out a sign-and-trade deal that would give him a starting spot. One issue though: a sign-and-trade needs to be for three seasons, and it’s unclear that the Lakers want to commit to Kuminga that long, especially when he wants $20 million per year or more.