Jonathan Kuminga's Agent Claims He Was The Best Player on Atlanta Last Season

Atlanta made a surprising decision to acquire Jonathan Kuminga at this year's trade deadline, sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Golden State, and Kuminga had some really good moments with the Hawks. He began his Hawks tenure with a 27-point performance, and he quickly became their top option off the bench, helping with Atlanta's rebounding and being a better defender than expected.

But to say he was their best player might be a bit of a stretch.

After Kuminga signed a two-year, $13 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves last week, ending a free agent saga that lasted nearly two months, his agent Aaron Turner has not been afraid to talk publicly about the signing. Today on an appearance on the Kevin O'Connor Show, Turner talked about Kuminga's tenure on the Hawks and went as far as to say he was their best player:

"He was their best player from the moment that he showed up in terms of winning impact. He had the best on/off net rating, in the regular season and in the playoffs. In their two wins against the Knicks, who had the best net rating? These are not opinions, these are facts. Who had the best net rating? Jonathan Kuminga.

You know, him and CJ (McCollum) really stepped up and led the team to those two wins. Now, could JK have stayed in Atlanta this year, where would that lead him on an expiring deal? Yeah, I mean, he could have been the 8th man and yes he could have done that but that does not necessarily... when talking with (President of Basketball Operations) Onsi (Saleh), they were committed to Dyson (Daniels), they have committed to Jalen (Johnson) long-term, and there is nothing wrong with that. Those guys are very good players, but where was the growth for JK?

Then, you are sitting on an expiring deal and not able to put your best foot forward and you might get traded out to someplace that you don't know. The reality is that Jonathan Kuminga being in this situation is actually to be more productive than being in a $24 million expiring."

Aaron Turner on Kuminga’s role with the Hawks: “He was their best player” pic.twitter.com/XWcOGWzI9l
— dre (@OnBallSteph) August 31, 2026

Will the Hawks miss Kuminga?

Jonathan Kuminga Atlanta Hawk — Apr 30, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) is defended by New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) 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 is not false to say that Kuminga had the highest net rating on the Hawks during the regular season, but that is only with a sample size of 16 games. Kuminga missed some games due to injury when he was initially traded, and then played 16 games down the stretch before playing six games in the playoffs against the Knicks.

It is also true to say that Kuminga was a huge reason the Hawks beat the Knicks twice in the playoffs. Kuminga was the most talented player on Atlanta's bench by far, and if he did not play well, it put Atlanta in a bind.

But to say that Kuminga was the best player on the Hawks is incorrect. He had a good showing in 16 games, with several of those being against teams that were tanking at the end of the season, and that inflated his net rating and advanced numbers.

Will the Hawks miss him this season?

They could. They went out and acquired Aaron Wiggins and Lu Dort via trade this offseason to improve their wing room, while also having Mouhamed Gueye, Asa Newell, and the recently drafted Zuby Ejiofor in their frontcourt, but none of those players are guaranteed to be better than Kuminga. Wiggins has not been one of the top bench players on a team before, and Dort has offensive inconsistencies, though he is a far better defender than Kuminga.

Kuminga helped the Hawks and is a talented player, but to try and make a point by stating he was their best player is not true and there is a reason that Atlanta declined his team option and opted to not bring him back for another stint.

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