Free agent wing Jonathan Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which includes a player option on the second season, his agent Aaron Turner told ESPN's Shams Charania.
Part of Minnesota's pitch is an expectation that Kuminga will fill the vacant starting power forward slot alongside Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert on an established Western Conference contender.
To complete the transaction, the Timberwolves will work through trade scenarios with reserve wing Josh Green or, if they are unable to find a landing spot, waive-and-stretch him before the Saturday deadline, league sources told Charania.
Kuminga chose the Timberwolves over offers from the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers -- bypassing a similar starting role and $12-plus million annually over three years from the Lakers in a sign-and-trade scenario, deciding on Minnesota on a shorter-term, prove-it deal to give him the ability to have more control of his future and possibly jump back in free agency next summer, league sources told Charania.
In the past month, the Timberwolves persistently recruited Kuminga, offering their best remaining financial tool -- the taxpayer mid-level exception -- attached to a large on-court opportunity. Edwards was a vocal part of the full-court press to sign Kuminga. Team president Tim Connelly traveled to Miami for a four-hour in-person meeting with Kuminga earlier this month and the sixth-year wing also held productive conversations with coach Chris Finch, league sources said.
This concludes a second consecutive drawn-out free agency process for Kuminga after lengthy negotiations with the Golden State Warriors in restricted free agency last summer dragged into October training camp. The Warriors ultimately re-signed Kuminga on a two-year, $46.8 million contract, insisting on a team option in the second season.
Kuminga's tumultuous relationship with the franchise that drafted him No. 7 overall finally ended last February when the Warriors traded him to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis.
Kuminga was a productive part of Atlanta's sprint into the sixth seed and averaged 13.7 points in 26 bench minutes during their six-game first-round series loss to the New York Knicks. But the Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option in late June and sent Kuminga into unrestricted free agency.
The Lakers pursued Kuminga the hardest in the early weeks of free agency. General manager Rob Pelinka had several discussions with Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh about sign-and-trade scenarios to land Kuminga, but the three sides -- Lakers, Hawks and Kuminga -- could never land on a result that appeased everyone.
That cracked open the door for the Timberwolves to grab Kuminga on a short-term deal, bringing in a 23-year-old wing with 334 career games played, including 40 in the playoffs.
Kuminga's signature career stretch came against his new team when he averaged 20.3 points on 54.3% shooting in a second-round series loss to Minnesota as part of the Warriors back in the 2025 playoffs.