A months-long saga surrounding Jonathan Kuminga and his future finally came to an end on Wednesday when the Golden State Warriors traded him to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a deal that landed the Warriors big man Kristaps Porziņģis.
Kuminga, 23, spent four-plus seasons in Golden State after he played for NBA G League Ignite and then was taken No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Consistency has been hard for Kuminga to find early in his NBA career. He’s had an especially up-and-down 2025-26 campaign that saw him temporarily ousted from the Warriors rotation and then request a trade.
Longtime Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told ESPN that Kuminga was “just a tough fit” in Golden State, dating back to when he came into the league.
“I think it was a tough situation for everybody, given how raw he was when he got here and given we were still playing for championships,” Kerr said, per Anthony Slater.
“He needed the runway to make more mistakes. He needed the experience of being in the NBA and understanding what it was about. For him, it was very tough not being allowed to make those mistakes. For us as a staff, it was tricky trying to develop him while we were trying to win. I think it’s as simple as that.
“Everybody liked him. I liked him. He’s a really good guy. Very personable. Well-liked in the locker room. Just a tough fit.”
During his rookie season, Kuminga played a role in the Warriors’ journey to their fourth NBA title under Kerr. He even chipped in three 17-plus-point performance during the 2022 playoffs.
Over the next four seasons, though, Kuminga didn’t unlock his potential. While he showed glimpses, he was criticized for his defensive lapses, and he wasn’t a mainstay in a starting five for a Warriors team desperately trying to add one more banner in the final years of Stephen Curry’s legendary career.
Before this season, Kuminga signed a two-year deal reportedly worth $48.5 million to return to the Warriors. He repaid Golden State with a strong start.
Across the first nine games, all of which Kuminga started, he averaged 17.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest while shooting 51.4% from the field and 41.4% from 3-point land.
But he struggled the next three outings and lost his spot in the starting lineup ahead of a Nov. 12 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
Then Kuminga missed seven games in a row because of knee injury. When he returned, his dip in performance continued. Soon enough, he was relegated to the bench.
Jimmy Butler III’s ACL tear opened the door for Kuminga to play again, despite his recent trade request. Kuminga went for 20 points in 21 minutes during a loss to the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 20 and then, before suffering a bone bruise in his knee, had 10 points in nine minutes in a defeat to the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 22.
Unfortunately for Golden State, its pursuit of another championship has fallen short so far, and its short-term roster fixes in the twilight of Curry’s career sidelined the development of a player like Kuminga.
Fortunately for Kuminga, he’ll get a fresh start in Atlanta.
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