Crafting a Jonathan Kuminga Three-Team Sign-And-Trade Involving The Hawks, Pacers and Wizards

Peyton Watson's restricted free agency finally came to a close when the Nuggets and Cavaliers agreed on a four-year, $88 millionsign-and-trade deal that sent Watson to Cleveland in exchange for an unprotected Cavaliers first-round pick in 2031. However, Jonathan Kuminga's future remains unclear.

As an unrestricted free agent, Kuminga is free to sign with whoever he wants. Even so, it doesn't seem that his market has attracted the interest that he believed it would. Kuminga seems to be set on finding a team that will offer him a significant role, long-term money, and the opportunity to cash back in for another payday. While there aren't a lot of teams that fit those criteria at the moment, there is one option that hasn't gotten a lot of buzz.

Of course, it would likely be best for the Hawks if they were able to facilitate the deal for Kuminga's signing as part of a sign-and-trade. Atlanta acquired him from Golden State at the deadline and while it wasn't perfect, Kuminga did have some nice moments as a member of the Hawks. However, general manager Onsi Saleh has made it clear that he doesn't fit into the long-term vision for the roster.

The Indiana Pacers haven't been linked to the 23-year-old forward this offseason. Nevertheless, their only real addition at the wing position was Kelly Oubre Jr. While Oubre turned himself into a solid perimeter defender and improved his shooting from deep, he's not exactly a banner addition for a team that's hoping to contend in the Eastern Conference this season. Indiana is also likely hesitant on forking over major draft capital after their trade with the Clippers for Ivica Zubac last season.

The Pacers could also use some insurance for a Pascal Siakam injury and Kuminga would be a nice fit for their fast-paced style of offense. Atlanta doesn't have interest in any of the pieces LA could offer in a sign-and-trade, but Indiana has several intriguing players in their rotation that might make sense for the Hawks. What would it look like if they attempted to work out a sign-and-trade for Kuminga's services?

The Trade

Hawks, Atlanta Hawks, NB — Mar 1, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) drives on Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Atlanta receives:Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, 2027 2nd-round pick (via IND)

Indiana recieves: Jonathan Kuminga (3 year, $54 million), Bilal Coulibaly, 2033 2nd-round pick (via ATL)

Washington receives: Obi Toppin, Quenton Jackson, 2030 1st-round pick swap (via IND)

Ben Sheppard and Jarace Walker haven't shown they're worthy of more minutes in Indiana, but I think they address some needs on Atlanta's roster at a reasonable price. Sheppard is a capable shooter who hustles, plays solid defense and can fill in as a back-of-rotation wing option. He posted a scoring TOV% of 3.9%, which was in the 86th percentile relative to his position. He doesn't turn the ball over and shot 36.2% on threes this past season. Those percentages would be better if he hadn't struggled to adapt to a bigger role, which he obviously wouldn't have in Atlanta.

Walker didn't have a strong first half of the season, but he looked much better in the second half. After January 1st, Walker averaged 13.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists on a blistering 41.7% from three-point range while taking 4.9 attempts a game. At just 22 years old, the Hawks can continue to develop him long-term and he's on an expiring contract. Since Indiana is in a contention timeline, they may not be able to wait on Jarace to develop. Atlanta does not have that problem.

For Washington, Obi Toppin is a fantastic lob threat who will pair well with Trae Young. The Alex Sarr-Anthony Davis double big lineup will likely prevent him from starting, but Toppin has shot over 35% from deep in each of the last three seasons. Washington doesn't have a ton of proven shooting on the roster and Toppin could fix that problem. Furthermore, they pick up an interesting first-round pick swap from the Pacers that will help them build the roster up further.

While giving up on Walker might be a tough proposition for the Pacers, getting two talented forwards who fit with their overall identity in Jonathan Kuminga and Bilal Coulibaly would be extremely useful. Coulibaly is a very good perimeter defender who finished with a STOP% of 3.4% last season, averaged 2.3 stocks a game and doesn't foul very often.

He pairs nicely with Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith as perimeter defenders and the Pacers would have a lot of answers for the Knicks' collection of wings. Forcing deflections is also key to Indiana's transition-heavy offense and Coulibaly makes a major difference in that area. His offensive game is a work in progress, but Tyrese Haliburton is an offense unto himself when healthy and should be able to weaponize the young forward in transition.

Kuminga's fit on the Pacers isn't as a plug-and-play replacement for Pascal Siakam. Rather, the young forward can hold his own against big men on the perimeter in a way that takes pressure off of Zubac. He can occasionally fill in for Siakam when he's not coming off the bench, but Kuminga's real strength is through his ability to draw fouls.

He had a free-throw rate of 0.36 last season, which was in the 91st percentile among forwards. Kuminga is also a great defensive rebounder and posted a DREB% of 17.9%. That bodes well for a team like Indiana, who finished 16th overall in defensive rebounds per game.

It's probably more likely that Indiana will stay put and trust their internal development/return of Haliburton to elevate them, but it'd be interesting to see if Kuminga's market gets to a point where other contenders get involved.

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