Lakers Trade Proposal Shows Harsh Reality Of Jonathan Kuminga's Hawks Value

Atlanta Hawks fans may have lofty ambitions when it comes to a Jonathan Kuminga trade.

They also may want to temper their expectations.

Don't shoot the messenger. Fanbases always want a hefty return for their young players. It's understandable, but ask yourself this:

If Kuminga was a hot commodity, wouldn't he be on an NBA team as we speak?

Instead, he's in contract limbo. A four-team proposal from Bleacher Report has the Hawks solving the issue by sending Kuminga to the Los Angeles Lakers:

But they don't get much in return.

Here are the details:

Los Angeles Lakers receive:

Atlanta Hawks receive:

Chicago Bulls receive:

Brooklyn Nets receive:

Firstly: This is a well-constructed, reasonable trade proposal. Whether I think it's fair value for Kuminga is a different question (spoiler: it probably is), but nobody could say the framework is unreasonable.

Side note: The Nets make out well here. A flyer on the talented guard Hardy at the price of some second-round draft capital would be smart. That's not our focus here, but it's worth mentioning.

Onto the Hawks. They're giving up Kuminga for a distant first-round swap and a second-rounder. It's impossible to know whether that swap will convey, but it is fair to say that given their market advantage, the Lakers can usually field a competitive team when they're incentivized to do so.

So, there's a very real chance that the Hawks are giving up Kuminga for nothing here. That's going to make some sections of the fanbase angry:

That doesn't mean it's a bad proposal.

Firstly, let's not be overly pessimistic about that Lakers swap. There was a time when their 2029 pick was seen as a highly coveted asset, and then they landed Luka Doncic. There's a world where the Hawks can move this pick for a valuable player where 2032 rolls around.

Stano argues the opposite side of this, writing that surrendering any first-round capital for Kuminga would be a mistake given that 2032 is the only Lakers first without swap rights attached. That's a fair read from Los Angeles' perspective, and it also cuts in Atlanta's favor. If the Lakers genuinely value that swap as one of their last meaningful trade chips, the Hawks are extracting more than the optics suggest.

Rolling the dice on that possibility is realistically as good as the Hawks will do for Kuminga. The optics may sting, but the Hawks need to do what's prudent. It seems clear that they're not interested in retaining Kuminga, and nobody seems to be offering quality players to match his money. So, a deal that has them adding draft capital without taking any money back may be as much as they can hope for:

Even if fans want more.