Atlanta Hawks Acquire Young Star Plus A Sharpshooter From Golden State In Stunning Blockbuster Trade

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield from the Golden State Warriors

Jan 20, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) looks to pass against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The NBA trade deadline never disappoints.

Just when you thought that the day was ever, a blockbuster trade comes through. The latest NBA deal involves the Atlanta Hawks sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Golden State Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

BREAKING: The Golden State Warriors are trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/eqNWwCupEZ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 5, 2026

Looking at the deal

Jan 20, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) looks to pass against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images | David Gonzales-Imagn Images

This is a fascinating deal for both sides.

On the Hawks side, they get a player who has very high upside in Kuminga and one of the best shooters in the NBA in Hield. The Kuminga saga has been well documented and he had fallen out of favor there, but there is a reason that he was picked as high as he was in the NBA draft.

The Hawks had not been mentioned as a potential Kuminga suitor, but they make some sense. He has played in 20 games this season (starting 13 of them) and is averaging 12.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.5 APG this season on 45% shooting from the field and 32% from three.

Hield on the other hand has played in 44 games for the Warriors this season and is averaging 8.0 PPG on a career worst 34.4% from three.

The situation with Kuminga is fascinating. He has a team option for the 2026-2027 season for $24.3 million, and Hield will have two years left on his deal after this season, but he is only partially guaranteed for $3 million, and if this does not go well the rest of the season, the Hawks can move on from him pretty easily.

The Hawks made a calculated swing for Kristaps Porzingis this offseason in a three team trade, but it did not work out the way that they had hoped due to Porzingis being unavailable due to injury or illness for much of the season, as he has only played in 17 games this season. The Hawks made a trade earlier in the day to acquire Jock Landale for cash considerations and he will likely be an impactful player for them down the stretch.

So how does Kuminga fit with this team? Is he going to come off the bench or become a starter for the Hawks? Right now, the Hawks are starting Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. I think Kuminga seems likely to come off the bench, at least at first, and run with the second unit, unless they move Risacher to the bench and start Kuminga.

Hield could help this team if he can start hitting his three point shots again. The Hawks have Luke Kennard and Corey Kispert on the roster already, a pair of three point specialists, and how Hield fits in with them will be interesting. It is worth noting that Kennard is an expiring contract and has been mentioned in trade rumors.

Atlanta has a lot it has to figure out with this roster now that they have Kuminga, but they are going to get two players who should help them on the court immediately. Porzingis was not helping the Hawks by being unavailable, though he played well when on the court. Kuminga and Hield will be available on a nightly basis and should help them make a push for the playoffs.

If Kuminga does not fit with the team, the Hawks can simply decline his team option after the season is over, but this is a chance for him to show he can be a real player on a team that is building for the future.

It should be noted that when the Hawks hired current GM Onsi Saleh away from Golden State, Kuminga had just finished up his third season with the team. Saleh should know what he is getting into with this trade.

Atlanta is also at 17 standard contracts on their roster after this trade. They will need to waive two players after acquiring Kuminga, Hield, and Landale today.

At the end of the day, the Hawks are gambling on Kuminga's young talent and that Hield can help their shooting. Let's see if it pays off.