Hawks/Jonathan Kuminga partnership was fruitful, even if temporary

Jonathan Kuminga has opted to continue his career elsewhere after spending less than half of a season with Atlanta

Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) is defended by New York Knicks forward Og Anunoby (8) in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It took until late August, but the Jonathan Kuminga free agency saga has officially been resolved. According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Kuminga is signing a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, with a player option for the second season.

Kuminga became a free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option earlier in the offseason, but he slow-played his free agency. Teams such as the Lakers, Clippers, Bucks, Bulls, Blazers, and Cavaliers had been mentioned as having varied levels of interest in Kuminga, with Minnesota not emerging until late in the process.

A return to Atlanta was not initially ruled out, but now Kuminga will join a team that has NBA Finals aspirations and get a chance to start, something he could not have done if he had stayed with the Hawks.

While he only played for the Hawks for 16 games, Kuminga and Atlanta made the most of their limited time together, and it helped show the Timberwolves that he was ready for a bigger role with a team hoping to be the best in the NBA.

Fruitful Partnership

Mar 27, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) talks with an official during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was a risky deal for the Hawks when they traded Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State for Kuminga and Buddy Hield (who is still somehow on Atlanta's roster), but Kuminga played a huge role for this team once he got healthy.

He was never a perfect fit on the roster, especially alongside star Jalen Johnson, but he excelled in transition (a huge part of the Hawks' offense), and he played much better on defense than anticipated. Atlanta lacked real depth on their team after the All-Star Break, but Kuminga was the top option for the Hawks off the bench and was used to guard a variety of different positions due to Atlanta's lack of size. Kuminga was put in situations where he had to guard Karl-Anthony Towns and other bigs on the Knicks roster.

During his 16 games with the Hawks (15 of which he came off the bench), Kuminga averaged 12.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG while shooting 48% from the field and 35% from three. His three-point shooting was up and down during the regular season, but it was disastrous in the playoffs, with the Knicks almost refusing to guard him when he was spotted up behind the arc. Kuminga could also stall the offense with his insistence on playing an isolation style type of basketball that would hurt the rhythm and flow of the Hawks movement style of offense.

Overall, I think coming to Atlanta and playing in the role that he did was a good thing for him. Even if he wanted a larger role and a larger contract this summer, closer to the value of the team option that the Hawks declined, it was better than staying in Golden State, where he was not getting a chance to shine in any capacity.

Kuminga showed that he is an elite transition player, which will be useful playing alongside LaMelo Ball, he can guard wing players and even bigs if necessary, and he still has untapped potential. He will now get a chance to start for an elite team and that might not have been a possibility if not for his short stay in Atlanta.