Jonathan Kuminga’s Agent Reveals What Led Him to Sign With Timberwolves

Earlier this offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been making changes to their roster as they look to get over the hump and become one of the top teams in the NBA. They traded for guard LaMelo Ball, but there was still a hole in the power forward spot of their lineup. 

To fill that void at the position, Minnesota signed former Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga to a two-year, $12.4 million deal. Kuminga was drafted to the Golden State Warriors and spent much of his career there, up until he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in the middle of last season. 

Kuminga now joins a roster that has one of the more dynamic backcourts in the NBA in LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards, and a franchise that has seen a lot of winning over recent seasons. 

Jonathan Kuminga entered this free agency as a restricted free agent, but after declining his player option with the Hawks, he decided to test the market and see where his best fit was for next season. 

While Kuminga's deal wasn't worth as much as what others were expecting him to sign for, this move to Minnesota may have been more about winning and comfort than anything else. His agent, Aaron Turner, spoke about the conversations Kuminga had with head coach Chris Finch and other members of the organization. 

"The conversations with Ant and Chris Finch... owner, GM, head coach, star player all in complete alignment that this is the guy that they want," Turner said. 

Turner said this decision also came down to where Kuminga would enjoy playing basketball the most. With a roster like Minnesota's and the opportunities that could be afforded to him, this move makes the most sense. 

Having LaMelo Ball changes things for various players on the Timberwolves' roster, and Kuminga could be one of those players that benefitting from it as well. Ball is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NBA today, and he could be someone who can set up Jonathan Kuminga for success moving forward. 

In Charlotte, LaMelo Ball had a great connection with Miles Bridges, who is an athletic forward like Kuminga and shares a similar play style. If Chris Finch and the coaching staff can get these two to coexist, the Timberwolves could have a very explosive offense. 

It will be interesting to see how the Timberwolves will be able to fit Kuminga into their rotation and how they will use him in different ways moving forward.