Atlanta Hawks Decline Team Option On Jonathan Kuminga: What It Means For The Offseason

One of the biggest offseason dominoes has finally fallen for the Atlanta Hawks, and they've gotten closer to a resolution on Jonathan Kuminga's future in the A.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hawks have declined the $24.3 million team option on Kuminga's contract for the 2026-27 season.

To be clear, it doesn't automatically mean that Kuminga is gone. Players can have their team options declined and return to the team on a new, long-term contract for a lower average salary in each year of the deal. This just means that the Hawks are not comfortable paying Kuminga over $24 million next season. For some context, that would be 14.7% of the salary cap next season.

The Atlanta Hawks are declining Jonathan Kuminga's $24.3 million team option, making him a free agent, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Zu57MTTp3g
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2026

Should The Hawks Sign Kuminga To A New Contract?

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NBA, Kuminga, Jonathan Kuminga, — Apr 23, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) is defended by New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) in the second quarter during game three of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In the apron environment of the modern NBA, committing roughly 15% of the cap to a player who isn't firmly entrenched as a starter is a tough pill to swallow. It makes complete sense why the Hawks decided to decline the option and see if they can get him at a cheaper number. However, the decision has to be examined in the context of the rest of the FA class.

It's not exactly a deep market at the SF/PF spot this summer. Assuming that the Hawks can't somehow magically convince LeBron James to come to Atlanta this summer, they'll have to settle for the second or lower tier of free agency to address the position. I'd personally be interested to see if the Hawks can land someone like Raptors F/C Sandro Mamukelashvili, Cavaliers F Dean Wade or Pistons F Tobias Harris. I think all of these players would be better fits for the Hawks than Kuminga.

Regardless of who they would sign, it'd be under $15 million a year since they'd use part of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to do it. If the Hawks can get him back for that price, it'd be a pretty reasonable contract. However, I do think that Kuminga could get more from a team that can offer him a bigger role. Even though he'd be back on a long-term contract, the Hawks probably wouldn't be able to give him a starting role because they'll likely lean more into a lineup with Nickeil Alexander-Walker at SF.

Now, it'd be unfair to say that the Hawks didn't get anything from the Jonathan Kuminga experience. He did have flashes during his short stint in Atlanta, most notably his strong defensive performance against Karl-Anthony Towns down the stretch of Games 2 and 3 in the first round.

After being traded to Atlanta, Kuminga averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 47.6/34.6/70.2 shooting splits. While it's essentially in line with his season averages in Golden State, the Hawks were a +17.1 in the 297 minutes Kuminga played for them.

The effects weren't as dramatic in the postseason, but Atlanta was still a +8.3 in the 134 minutes Kuminga played in the playoffs. Interestingly, the Hawks' defense was dramatically stronger in the postseason when he was on the floor. Their defensive rating went from a dismal 127 to an acceptable defensive rating of 115.9.

The defensive growth that Kuminga showed is exciting, but I don't think it's enough to keep him in Atlanta. The Hawks didn't play an especially strong schedule towards the end of the season and it's possible that Kuminga's strong defensive numbers were a result of that. While Kuminga did play mostly well on defense against the Knicks, he's clearly limited on offense and the Hawks need to find a more dynamic option on the wing. It's time for them to find a long-term answer.

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