A player as talented and young as Jonathan Kuminga hardly ever lasts this long in free agency, but limited time to produce at his most recent destination combined with a very high asking price has made his summer a surprisingly uneventful one.
Not that there haven't been talks between him and multiple interested franchises, because there have, but none of them have gone as far as either side would hope.
This late into free agency, there are a limited number of destinations with available cap space. It's why, more likely than not, wherever he ends up will be facilitated via sign-and-trade.
A trade, however has to be agreed upon by both sides. The Atlanta Hawks don't have much of a reason to take on unwanted salary to help out another franchise.
Even Kuminga's most aggressive potential suitors are backing off
For a minute, it really looked like him going to the Los Angeles Lakers was a done deal. Or close to it, at least.
Los Angeles was set on sending Jarred Vanderbilt - the 27-year-old defensive standout set to make over $13 million in each of the next two seasons - along with a small amount of draft capital over to Atlanta in exchange for Kuminga on a fresh deal.
While the Hawks have been focused on getting significantly better on the defensive end this summer, they've kept their finances at the forefront of any discussions, and the idea of them taking on Vanderbilt's salary was simply unrealistic.
They could expand the deal to include yet another team, but again, it's late into the offseason. For the most part, teams have the bulk of their roster set.
Atlanta, too, already has to get rid of two players in some capacity before the year can begin. They're two above the limit. It'll get a whole lot more difficult if they take anyone back in a Kuminga deal.
This saga could last until the final stages of the offseason
As all sides remain far apart - even including the other two known suitors, Minnesota and Cleveland - it wouldn't be surprising to see a Kuminga signing arrive at the summer's final buzzer.
His camp doesn't appear to be budging in terms of their asking price. If he's acquired via sign-and-trade, his new contract will have to last for at least three seasons.
That's a major financial commitment.
Whoever lands him will be receiving a quality young forward with plenty of untapped potential, but there's really no timetable on when they can expect to get something, if anything, done.
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