The Jonathan Kuminga saga has finally come to an end for the Golden State Warriors. A drama-filled offseason and regular season that culminated in Kuminga demanding a trade three weeks ago has ultimately been resolved with one trade — although it may not be the one fans were hoping for.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo recently made available for trade by the Milwaukee Bucks, many reports indicated the Warriors would be in the race, using Kuminga as the primary player in their trade package. However, the trade that general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of the Warriors' front office ended up settling on truly came out of left field.

In a late-night surprise, NBA insider Shams Charania announced on X that the Warriors had traded Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for big man Kristaps Porzingis.

The trade brings Porzingis to his sixth team in his 10th year in the NBA. The former No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft made an All-Star team with his draft team, the New York Knicks, before having consistently good seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and Boston Celtics. He won the 2024 NBA Championship with the Celtics and made his way to the Hawks this past offseason when he was traded to Atlanta. 

Despite Porzingis's overall solid resume — he averaged 20+ points per game in every season from 2017 to 2024, barring the 2018-19 season that he sat out due to injury — his health and general decline over the past couple of years raise some questions.

The 7-foot-2 big man played just 17 games with the Hawks this year and posted the least amount of points since his rookie season in the least amount of minutes per game he's played in his entire career. In fact, the last time Porzingis played 65 games in a season was when he was with the Wizards in 2022-23, and he hasn't played over 70 games in a season since he was a rookie with the Knicks.

If Porzingis can stay healthy, though, his playstyle does project to be a good fit alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green. He's always been one of the premier shooters from the center position in the NBA, and his rim protection was impactful for the Celtics' championship run. In addition, his overall offensive game is multi-faceted with his shooting touch, post-up prowess, and relatively surprising ability to put the ball on the floor — there's a reason he was nicknamed "Unicorn" when he was an All-Star. 

At 30 years old, Porzingis is still in his theoretical athletic prime, but he'll have to prove to the Warriors that he can stay on the court and bring the dynamic impact he showed off at all of his stops, especially in New York and Boston. If not, the Warriors may have a big decision on their hands this summer with Porzingis' contract set to expire in just a few months' time. 

On the other side of the trade, two players head out to the Eastern Conference.

Kuminga will look to thrive in his new home, where the Hawks seem to be making a concerted effort to start up a rebuild. The No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft never truly found his footing with the Warriors in the way that Steve Kerr and many fans were hoping, but he's still just 23 years old — it wouldn't be surprising to see him flourish in a new environment.

Hield, on the other hand, will take his veteran presence to the Hawks. It'll be his 6th team in 10 years, just as it is for Porzingis, as his year-and-a-half run in Golden State comes to an end. The sharpshooter was always praised by Kerr and his teammates for being the ultimate teammate on the bench and in the locker room, so this trade may be a tough pill to swallow for them.

Ultimately, the Warriors were looking to improve at the trade deadline and keep the window for contention open as long as Steph Curry is still around. If Porzingis can stay healthy — and that is admittedly a big if — then all signs point to this trade having accomplished that goal. Only time will tell if Porzingis can provide the impact the Warriors are hoping for as they make their push for the playoffs.