Three Thoughts From The Hawks' Decision To Decline Jonathan Kuminga's Team Option

The Atlanta Hawks took the decision on Jonthan Kuminga's $24.3 million team option all the way up to the deadline yesterday and made a somewhat surprising move to decline the option and make Kuminga an unrestricted free agent.

While Kuminga's time with the Hawks was up and down, he was pretty vital to their team and was their top bench option by far, averaging 12.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG on 48% shooting from the field and 35% from three. When it came to the decision on his option, it was thought that the Hawks would pick it up and either continue trying to trade him (it was reported the Hawks were actively shopping him) or let him start the year on the Hawks and see how things play out.

That is not what happened though and now Kuminga is a n unrestricted free agent, free to sign wherever he wants.

Here are three three thoughts from the Hawks decision with Kuminga yesterday.

1. The Hawks could still re-sign him

This is probably the biggest point to know about Kuminga now being a free agent.

The Hawks could bring Kuminga back on a cheaper deal and see if he can continue to grow with this team. On the wing, Atlanta has Corey Kispert and Zaccharie Risacher to come off the bench and at power forward, they have Mouhamed Gueye, Asa Newell, and the recently drafted Zuby Ejiofor. Kuminga is a better player than anyone just listed and the Hawks will have to figure out how to replace him if they decide to move on.

That is not to say that Kuminga is a perfect player, the fit with this core group of the Hawks (Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Onyeka Okongwu) is not perfect and he might want to be on a team that could give him major minutes. He was not with the Hawks long enough to truly carve out a role.

I don't know how likely it is, but it is certainly on the table that Kuminga plays for the Hawks next season, just at a lower number.

2. There was not a robust trade market for Kuminga

If there was a great deal for the Hawks that involved moving Jonathan Kuminga, it seems like Onsi Saleh would have made it given his track record of being opportunistic and trying to get value out of every deal that they make.

When the Hawks guaranteed Buddy Hield's contract on Sunday night, it seemed like a deal involving one or both of Kuminga and Hield would come to fruition, but it did not come to pass.

The Hawks waited up until the final moments to try and see if something would transpire on the Kuminga market, but no other team wanted him at that number and that is not in itself all that surprising. Kuminga is a polarizing player of sorts and at $24.3 million, he did not have a big enough trade market for the Hawks to move him.

3. Hawks have space now and have to use it

Kuminga was not a perfect fit with this roster, but he was a good player and the Hawks might not have a perfect way to replacing him considering that this is not an exceptional free agent class.

With Kuminga now a free agent, the Hawks have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and could use it to replace Kuminga, but the Hawks also need to find a way to add depth to the center position.

If Atlanta had picked up Kuminga's option, they would have been right at the luxury tax line and would have had to do some financial maneuvering to get access to the non-tax MLE. They did not, though, and now we will see how they can use that space tonight or in the days ahead.

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