After months of anticipation, the Milwaukee Bucks' Peyton Watson chase has ended... with him not on the squad. Per ESPN insider Shams Charania, Watson is heading to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a sign-and-trade. It's a tough conclusion for the Bucks, who missed out on arguably the best free agent left. Yet, they still have options to beef up this group, primarily with Jonathan Kuminga.
Kuminga remains an option for the Bucks
While Watson has been the headline-stealer in recent weeks, the Bucks have also expressed interest in Kuminga, as noted by NBA insider Marc Stein on July 2. With all due respect to Kuminga, he always felt like the backup plan to Watson, not just for the Milwaukee Bucks, but for everyone who was eyeing Cleveland's new forward. Now, he's the target teams will be lining up to chase.
The Lakers obviously face financial constraints but league sources say they continue to explore the feasibility of adding Jonathan Kuminga to fill a wing need.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 2, 2026
Cleveland and Milwaukee have also expressed Kuminga interest and a return to Atlanta has not been ruled out. pic.twitter.com/at1Q99RgCb
Even if he wasn't Plan A, Kuminga still makes plenty of sense for the Milwaukee Bucks. One of the few weak points that needs addressing is the forward spots. Between Kyle Kuzma, Ousmane Dieng, and Jaime Jaquez Jr., there is no clear-cut answer for the Bucks at either spot. Yet, adding Kuminga into the mix could strengthen the position and give Taylor Jenkins more options to choose from.
For a team that just pivoted to a youth-focused timeline, adding a 23-year-old who has shown signs of legitimate two-way potential would be an easy sell.
Bucks well-equipped to land Kuminga
Like Watson, it will almost certainly require a sign-and-trade to acquire Kuminga. The Bucks have the tools to get that done, as their $25.5 million trade exception, which many speculated they would use on Watson, is still intact. Milwaukee could take the forward off Atlanta's hands smoothly, given that it looks like they have no interest in bringing him back.
While the Milwaukee Bucks should absolutely be interested in Kuminga, they should also be smart about it. He's not a player worth giving up significant assets for in a sign-and-trade. Details haven't been released, but it wouldn't be shocking if one of the reasons Milwaukee didn't get Watson was because they didn't want to give up a first round pick like Cleveland did.
For a team just starting a rebuild, that's a justifiable stance. Giving up a valuable pick for Kuminga when they potentially could have had Watson would be puzzling.
Another move feels inevitable for the Milwaukee Bucks, and all eyes are on Kuminga.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.
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