Jonathan Kuminga Won't Return to Hawks; Cavs, Lakers, Timberwolves in Pursuit

According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Jonathan Kuminga will not return to the Atlanta Hawks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are pursuing Kuminga, who is an unrestricted free agent. 

Atlanta acquired Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins from the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer, so the team doesn't need Kuminga at the swingman spot anymore. 

"The Atlanta Hawks were said to be open to bringing Kuminga back on a minimum deal, but that ship has sailed since adding Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort in trades with the OKC Thunder," Siegel wrote. "There hasn't been much talk about Kuminga going to the Clippers recently, and interest from the Bucks seems like an if-all-else-fails option regarding their pursuit of Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin. It looks increasingly likely that Kuminga will end up with the Lakers, Timberwolves, or Cavs."

Kuminga played for the Golden State Warriors and Hawks last season. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 72.4% from the free-throw line.

The Hawks lost to the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs in six games. Kuminga averaged 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in the six-game series. 

Kuminga's restricted free agency with the Warriors last summer took forever. It appears his unrestricted free agency this summer will drag out too. 

Kuminga has career averages of 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game in the regular season and 8.0 points per game in the playoffs. He won the 2022 championship with the Warriors against the Boston Celtics.

The Lakers need a small forward after losing LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers and Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. The Cavaliers also need a wing after losing Dean Wade to the 76ers and Larry Nance Jr. to the Indiana Pacers. 

Minnesota can only offer Kuminga a minimum deal, so it looks like Kuminga will sign with Los Angeles or Cleveland. 

The Hawks have a smart front office. They will probably execute a sign-and-trade deal so they don't lose Kuminga for nothing.