Jonathan Kuminga to the Lakers Gains Steam After Franchise Sale: Prediction Markets for Kuminga’s Next Team
- In a sudden and stunning turn of events, Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner have reached an agreement with Mark Walter to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for a reported $12.5 billion, just over a year after Walter bought the franchise from the Buss family for around $10 billion
- That’s a quick $2.5 billion for Walter, who had initially seemed to be all in with running the Lakers like he has the Dodgers, the team he has turned into a borderline MLB dynasty
- Now, Iger and Kushner need to think about how to put the post-LeBron James Lakers’ roster together; with the season opener just over two months away, named players are automatically being mentioned as potential targets, with prediction markets currently focused on Jonathan Kuminga showing an increasing probability to don purple and gold
Expect rampant speculation and more than a few conspiracy theories as to why Mark Walter bought the Lakers in June 2025 from the Buss family, which had controlled the team since 1979, and then turned around 14 months later and sold the franchise to Disney CEO Bob Iger and venture capitalist Josh Kushner. Kushner’s connection to the White House and the Trumps cannot be ignored when those theories, crackpot though they may be, inevitably involve the word “oligarchy.”
Perhaps it’s simply a business decision. Or, since Walter had his Dodgers baseball operations people looking at the inner workings of the Lakers and the NBA, he decided he didn’t want to deal with it, and the offer was there to spin it and make $2.5 billion.
Regardless, Walter’s tenure was short and lucrative.
Now, Iger and Kushner need to move quickly to put a viable team on the court, one that the spoiled Lakers fans expect.
Free agency is a way to make quick improvements, and Jonathan Kuminga is arguably the top unrestricted free agent on the market. With the Lakers transitioning from being built around LeBron James to Luka Dončić being the centerpiece, the days of LeBron’s whims and demands taking precedence with the direction of the franchise are over. Luka will not behave that way.
Still, the new regime will need to decide very quickly whether to retain President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka or to bring in their own people. There are immediate rumors that Pelinka is in trouble, but that was the perception when Walter took control and had his Dodgers President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman, and his staff scrutinizing the Lakers. Fourteen months later, Pelinka is still there.
Of course, going down the rabbit hole, it’s possible that Friedman told Walter that if he got the chance to get rid of the franchise and make a big profit, he should do it.
It would be a drastic move to fire Pelinka with such a short amount of time before the season starts.
With Kuminga filling a clear hole on the Lakers roster and the Lakers still being THE LAKERS, there is a natural fit for both sides, even on a shorter term deal.
Prediction markets are buzzing with the possibility of Kuminga going to the Lakers. Those who want to take part can jump in with their opinion on where Kuminga will ultimately sign.
Prediction Market Odds for Jonathan Kuminga’s Next Team
Trading volume for this market has surpassed $350,000.
The Lakers have long been cast as the frontrunner for Kuminga’s services, and that has not changed with the unexpected sale of the franchise. The Lakers are at around 40%.
Next are the Cavaliers at around 15%, followed by the Timberwolves and Hawks at about 10%. Kuminga finished the 2025-26 season with the Hawks, having been traded there in early February for Kristaps Porzingis. The Clippers and Bucks are in the mid-single digits.
For those who want to take part, the Kalshi referral code offers a bonus of up to $500 after completing $25 in trades.
The market will resolve to Yes if Jonathan Kuminga joins the selected team before Oct. 21, 2026. The outcome will be verified by the Governing League, Fox Sports, and ESPN.
Is Kuminga to LA a Done Deal?
On the court, there is huge upside for Kuminga. Despite him never having lived up to the pre-draft hype as the 7th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he did win a championship with the Warriors as a rookie and has experience in a situation where there is the never-ending drama of star-studded expectations, which were never fulfilled in Golden State after that first season.
He’s going to be 24 before opening night, so he has not yet reached his prime years. There’s nothing wrong with being a puzzle piece if that piece fits.
As for the fit for the Lakers when compared to other teams, he would be a great help on the Lakers’ roster at power forward. And, again, it’s THE LAKERS!!!
The Cavaliers won 52 games in 2025-26, but were hammered by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. There is a sense that their window is closing. They went for it by trading for James Harden and, like most teams who acquire Harden thinking he’s the missing piece, they were wrong.
The Timberwolves have dramatically remade their roster, trading away Julius Randle and Naz Reid to get LaMelo Ball. There was an argument to making these changes since they were not going to take the next step as they were. But Ball is a handful, and that team could take a step back.
From the Lakers’ perspective, Kuminga does fill a need for them, and he’s the most prominent unrestricted name on the market unless they want to enjoy the James Harden Experience for themselves.
It’s an easy move for the new ownership to make for a good player and a well-liked guy to put a better team on the court than they currently have. It takes time to evaluate and it can’t be done in two months. The markets think Kuminga ends up in LA with the Lakers and, unless a surprise team jumps in, that is the wisest pick with the possibility for a substantial profit.
The post Jonathan Kuminga to the Lakers Gains Steam After Franchise Sale: Prediction Markets for Kuminga’s Next Team appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.
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