The Atlanta Hawks will not roster Jonathan Kuminga in 2026-27. Perhaps they've made a mistake.
It's finally official: Jonathan Kuminga will not be a member of the Atlanta Hawks next season. He signed a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Given the size of the deal, it feels like a missed opportunity.
Kuminga has been largely underwhelming throughout his brief NBA career. That's undeniable. That's exactly why he signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Wolves.
The Hawks could - and should - have afforded that deal.
Hawks Didn't Need to Let Kuminga Walk
Yet, it's not a minimum contract. To make the case that the Hawks should have retained Kuminga, you'd need to identify who they shouldn't have at a comparable salary.
In the Hawks' case, that's not a difficult exercise.
Kuminga isn't the only player who's fallen short of expectations. Guard Devin Carter has not made good on his 13th overall selection in 2024.
Granted, he's had less time than Kuminga. From that perspective, Carter may have more upside. On the other hand, a 6'8" wing with ball-handling like Kuminga's almost inherently has more upside than a 6'2" player like Carter.
Who knows? The Hawks may see something they like in Carter. They absorbed his contract for a reason. From this vantage point, it feels like that money would have been better spent on Kuminga.
Now, we'll never know.
The Kuminga Era in Atlanta Is Already Over
At last year's deadline, the Hawks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Warriors for Kuminga. They didn't get anything in return for Kuminga, so ultimately, they moved Porzingis for a half-season's rental.
That's disappointing. Porzingis is a valuable player. The Hawks would have liked more for him:
But it's not the end of the world either.
Porzingis is injury-prone, and Kuminga is a raw, unproven player. He has not had a breakout season, and he'll be 24 next season. At this point, it feels like it's unlikely to happen.
Still, it can't be ruled out. We've seen guys break out later in their careers. If Kuminga does make All-Star teams, the Hawks will regret letting him walk (unless Carter has a similar breakout).
Again - this is less about Kuminga, and more about the price point. The position is that it would be better to have Kuminga in that salary slot than Devin Carter. This isn't a disaster, but it does currently look like a rare misstep for an otherwise astute Hawks front office.
We'll know more once we see Kuminga in his third NBA uniform.
