NBA Mock Trade Idea: Jonathan Kuminga sent to the Mavericks; Hawks Add Frontcourt Help

Would this trade idea work for the Hawks to bolster their frontcourt?

Mar 21, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford (21) tries to keep his balance as he runs out of bounds during the second half against the LA Clippers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's pretty obvious that the Atlanta Hawks need to add more center depth.

Onyeka Okongwu showed that he's capable of being a good starter, but he can't anchor the unit by himself. Jock Landale's injury loomed large over the Hawks, as they were beaten up on the boards and outmatched in the paint.

Fortunately, there are several intriguing options for fixing this issue. There aren't a ton of centers with proven history as a rebounder, playoff experience and a reasonable contract. Furthermore, the Hawks probably don't want to leverage too much of their future draft capital to fix the problem.

They could make an aggressive offer for Mitchell Robinson or try to get Isaiah Hartenstein in a trade this summer. However, those players come with a checkered injury history and a expensive contract respectively. In either case, Atlanta would have to make a pretty aggressive financial commitment to land them.

What about the Dallas Mavericks?

The Trade

Mar 18, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) shoots as Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford (21) and Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) defend during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Hawks receive: Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford

Mavericks receive: Jonathan Kuminga, 2027 2nd round pick, 2030 2nd round pick, 2031 2nd round pick

Why This Trade Makes Sense

Gafford would be a very interesting player for the Hawks to acquire. He was hampered by injuries last season and didn't play very well, but his rebounding stayed solid despite his diminished form. He's had a TREB% north of 16% for the last three seasons of his career and would especially improve the Hawks' offensive rebounding.

For some context, Onyeka Okongwu had a DREB% of 20.3% last season and a TREB% of 13.3%. That's because he had an abysmal OREB% of 6.5%. It's not to say OO isn't a good player, but offensive rebounding just isn't a strength of his game. Fortunately, Gafford can fill this gap.

Since his rookie season, he's never had a year with a OREB% less than 11%. Gafford isn't an overwhelming force on the boards like Donovan Clingan, but he still puts himself in the right position to create extra possessions. He's a typical rim-runner on offense, which should be fine since he can work off Jalen Johnson's gravity.

Gafford's also been able to stay on the court for multiple playoff series deep into a run. He was critical in Dallas's run to the Finals and made a huge difference with his physicality in each one of the Clippers, Thunder and Timberwolves series.

However, it's especially interesting to see how much better the Hawks can be if they keep an above-average rim protector in relief of OO. Okongwu is a solid protector despite his smaller size for a center.

Per Databallr, he contested an above-average 8.6 rim defensive field goal attempts per game. Gafford is even better - he contested 11.2 rim attempts a game. His 1.3 blocks a game last season and BLK% of 4.9% would have also been Okongwu's best shot-blocking season of his career. For Gafford, that was a career low.

Naji Marshall would give the Hawks another athletic wing who can get tough buckets, guard in isolation and fit into their strengths in transition. He's a 6'6, 220 lb wing who wins with physicality and drawing contact. However, he's not just an inefficient scorer.

He is quietly a decent passer for a wing, averaging over three assists for two seasons in a row and finishing in the 69th percentile for shot quality on his assists and 71st percentile for assists at the rim. He finished last season with a free-throw rate of 0.36, which was in the 92nd percentile.

Atlanta wasn't good at drawing free throws last season and getting easy points. Marshall would help with that.

It's fair to say that Marshall was over-extended in his role as the Mavericks' second-leading scorer with a career-high 15.2 points on a career-most 11.1 shot attempts a night.

However, scaling down his role might also improve his 3P%, which has hovered below 30% for the last two seasons. It will also give the Hawks another player who can slot into the 2 or 3, depending on the lineup and even take on small-ball center minutes because he has a 7'1 wingspan.

From the perspective of the Mavericks, it makes sense because it clears their cap sheet of Gafford's contract and gives them an intriguing prospect next to Cooper Flagg and (possibly) Kyrie Irving. Kuminga had his ups and downs in Atlanta, but he did show some progress on defense and is still just 23 years old despite having five NBA seasons under his belt.

He's already a great transition scorer, and the expanded opportunity with the Mavericks may help him deliver on the promise he's shown in the past to be a solid half-court option one day.

Under new president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks are undoubtedly going to be looking at wings that can play next to Flagg. On paper, Kuminga fits with the mold athletic wings that Ujiri has liked in the past.

The rebounding, athleticism, ability to draw free throws and defensive potential should be enticing for a talent evaluator who recognized Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes could be All-NBA players one day. That's not to say Kuminga is in that tier of player, but wings need time to develop. Dallas might be the team that can give Kuminga that opportunity.

If there's a chance to turn Kuminga into two players that address their rebounding, rim protection, backup center problems, perimeter defense and free throw numbers, the Hawks would be short-sighted not to consider it.