Debunking Report About Jonathan Kuminga’s Reason For Snubbing The Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers wanted to add Jonathan Kuminga to their ranks in this post- LeBron James era, but he snubbed them and headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves in free agency. It was an interesting decision, and Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, has had a lot to say about his client choosing the Timberwolves .

Kuminga himself hasn't, but some quotes attributed to him surfaced on social media recently. In them, the 23-year-old talked about Los Angeles not being the right environment for him and that the expectations surrounding the Lakers can serve as a distraction.

To no one's surprise, these quotes went viral, but Kuminga never said any of this. An X user named Marc Jacobs posted these online, citing The Athletic as the source.

"Not to come off disrespectful, but I didn't feel like Los Angeles was the right environment for me. There's a level of expectation and outside noise surrounding the Lakers that can become distracting, and I wanted a situation where I could stay focused on basketball and my development. I also felt Minnesota offered a better defensive fit and a clearer role for me. Ultimately, it was the better situation."

The Athletic hasn't published these quotes anywhere, however. This is fabrication likely done with the intent of farming engagement. This isn't the first time Jacobs has done it either. The Athletic's Dan Woike called him out in August for some fake Luka Doncic quotes he had posted and claimed were from The Athletic.

"This is 10000 percent false and not something that Luka said or something that appeared in The Athletic – where is the "parody" in just being a liar," Woike wrote.

In a now-deleted post, Jacobs had shared Doncic's reaction to James leaving the Los Angeles Lakers .

"Obviously, LeBron did a lot for this team and made us better," Jacobs wrote. "We have a lot of respect for everything he brought to Los Angeles, but I think the team we have now fits us really well. We added a lot of guys who can defend, shoot, and make plays, and I really like the balance of this group. I think we have a better chance to compete at the highest level and ultimately win."

Jacobs deleted the post after getting called out by Woike. He might do the same this time around as well. It's a shame just how often these fake quotes get posted online nowadays. These are quite damaging not only to the players, but also to the publications.

If you want to know why Kuminga, who averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game for the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks in 2025-26, signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Timberwolves, all you have to do is listen to his agent.

Turner has spoken about rejecting bigger offers from teams like the Lakers . They had put a three-year deal worth $12 million-plus annually on the table, but Kuminga and Turner believe the Timberwolves are the right fit.