Jonathan Kuminga will be due for a contract this summer. The Hawks shouldn't stray from giving him a big one.
When the Atlanta Hawks acquired Jonathan Kuminga, his value was not particularly high.
That's not a knock on Kristaps Porziņģis. He's a good player. That said, he's aging and highly injury-prone. He was not a player expected to fetch a young player with star potential.
Kuminga was not regarded as a young player with star potential, either. He was veering toward "bust" territory. Since arriving in Atlanta, he's been changing the narrative.
Expect him to get paid accordingly.
Let's do a little before-and-after comparison.
In 20 games with the Warriors this year, Kuminga averaged 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game. He had a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of -3.6.
In six games with the Hawks so far this year, he's averaging 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 22.7 minutes, with a +2.9 BPM. That's an entirely different player.
That doesn't mean Kuminga's contract negotiations will be cut-and-dried. A six-game sample size is not substantial enough. Kuminga has looked good, but he still has more to prove.
Moreover, a nagging knee injury has limited his availability in 2025-26. It's hard to say how many more games we'll see of Kuminga in a Hawks uniform before the summer is here.
So, the question has to be asked: If the season ended today, how much is he worth?
It's a bit difficult to pin down a number.
The Hawks can't give Kuminga a max. That's obvious. He has not proven to be a strong enough producer to warrant that kind of salary slot. That said, he won't be cheap. He's played too well in Atlanta.
The theory behind Kuminga was always that he may improve with a better opportunity, and that's exactly what's happened with the Hawks. Moreover, rookie extensions tend to bake in potential. The Hawks won't solely be paying Kuminga for what he is — they'll be paying him for what he could be. The hope will be that he grows into whatever contract he's given.
Something in the neighborhood of $30 million a year feels appropriate. Fans may feel sticker shock, but they need to adjust for inflation. A $30 million player is a good starter in the modern NBA economy.
It's enough money to pressure Kuminga into improving, but not so much as to hamstring the franchise if it looks like an overpay. Even if it's more money than critics once expected Kuminga to make.