Could The Hawks Explore a Sign-and-Trade Scenario For Jonathan Kuminga With The Minnesota Timberwolves?

Jonathan Kuminga's market has not gone the way he'd hoped it would, but would it make sense for both him and the Hawks to pursue a fresh start in Minnesota via sign-and-trade?

Apr 18, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) dribbles during the second half of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

By now, the NBA calendar has rolled on to the point where Jonathan Kuminga's free agency is arguably the hottest topic on the market.

After an altogether dissapointing stint in Golden State where he showed flashes without the consistency, Kuminga was routed to Atlanta in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. While he continued to show flashes at times and even improved his defense, it wasn't enough to convince the Hawks that he needs to be a part of the long-term future in Atlanta.

Instead, Kuminga is now waiting for a team that will pay him the $20+ million he and his representation want on a long-term deal. Unfortunately, he's running out of options. The other options in the small forward/power forward market have mostly been decided and there aren't a lot of teams who have the interest, money and role avaliable for Kuminga to contribute.

One team that might fit all three is the Minnesota Timberwolves - and they may be able to unlock his potential in a way that the Hawks cannot. However, the Hawks can extract a lot of future value by being patient and turning Kuminga's contract into an opportunity to set themselves up for future success.

The Trade

Mar 1, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hawks get: Josh Green, Donte DiVincenzo, 2032 first-round pick swap

Timberwolves get: Jonathan Kuminga, Corey Kispert, Mo Gueye, 2027 2nd-round pick (via Atlanta)

In this scenario, Kuminga would sign a three-year, $63 million dollar contract with a player option on the third year and a starting salary of $20,000,000 in the first year. That would keep the Hawks under the tax for the 2026-27 season. The Timberwolves end up over the tax in this exercise, but they'd be able to dump salary if they needed to go under it during the season.

Why Would Both Teams Do This Trade?

The Hawks' motivation for doing this is a lot easier to figure out. They'd send out Kuminga in exchange for a potentially juicy 2032 first-round pick swap that may be attached to a Timberwolves roster without Anthony Edwards. It's hardly guarenteed that the swap would turn into anything of note, but the potential upside for Atlanta is worth banking on since it aligns with their competitive window.

By way of this deal, Atlanta would turn one of the worst contracts on their roster and a player who doesn't align with their future into expiring salary that they can leverage into future flexibility or package into a trade for a player who upgrades their postseason ceiling at the deadline. It's a strategy that president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh has not been shy about pursuing.

The Hawks need to create money for a possible Lu Dort extension if he plays well and definitely ned to make space to pay Onyeka Okongwu in the future. Creating the space to do so is the right move as they build out the roster. Even so, the future of the Hawks revolves around Kingston Flemings, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. Everyone else is interchangeable at the moment and that includes Kuminga.

The players they're getting in the deal are also intriguing bets to take. Donte DiVincenzo was a very important player for the Wolves during the regular season. Tearing his Achilles during the postseason certainly affects his long-term outlook, but the Wolves clearly still value him. There are reports that they wouldn't trade him during the offseason per Jon Krawczynski of the Athletic.

The Wolves do still have other moves in the works. They need a power forward and they need more shooting. I am told that they are not trading Donte DiVincenzo. The work continues.

— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 25, 2026

If Minnesota's front office changes their mind, the value DiVincenzo could provide to the Hawks in either a postseason run or as a free agent addition next offseason would be immense. He's shot above 37% from deep on over 5.3 attempts for the past four seasons in a row. DiVincenzo has also been a playoff performer in the past and he's improved his defense to be a real postseason X-factor. Slotting him into the rotation during a possible playoff push would give the Hawks an intruiging ceiling and they'd have more firepower to match up against teams like the Knicks.

Even if he doesn't play at all next season, the Hawks would be probably be able to make a compelling case to be a free agent destination for him in the summer of 2027. They'd be able to offer him a potential role as the sixth man to replace CJ McCollum. It's unclear how he'll come back from the Achiles injury, but the form he was showing pre-injury is worth betting on.

Josh Green isn't a very versatile player, but he has shot above 38% from deep on very limited volume and could easily step into the Corey Kispert role. He's extremely fast and fits in with the transition prowess that the Hawks showed last year. Green isn't a standout defender, but he's better on that end than Kispert and there's very low risk associated with the Hawks plugging him into the eighth or ninth man role in the rotation.

For Minnesota, their set-up is perfect for Kuminga to succeed. The trio of LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert complement the flaws in his game - he has a true defensive anchor behind him in Rudy Gobert and two of the best high-volume shooters in the NBA to provide spacing. Kuminga doesn't really shoot threes or defend at a high level, but he's extremely athletic and has shown signs of being a tough, physical wing who can swing playoff games. He gave the Warriors a chance in their series against the Timberwolves and played good defense on KAT at times during the playoffs.

It would require Kuminga buying into his role as more of a complementary player rather than a star, but the best basketball he's played thus far has been as a connector next to an offensive hub like Steph Curry. Minnesota offers a similar environment and the chance to get paid in two seasons if he can acclimate to this role. They also have a glaring lack of options at the PF position, so Kuminga's pathway towards playing time is extremely obvious.

While this wouldn't make the Hawks better for the upcoming season, it does give them a more exciting future outlook that aligns with the biggest names in the conference aging out of their title windows. Atlanta isn't under any pressure to make a big playoff push in 2026-27 - they just need to build on the margins and figure out whether Jalen Johnson can be an impact player in the postseason.