Report: Warriors Trade Kuminga, Hield for All-Star Center

The Golden State Warriors have traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Atlanta Hawks big man Kristaps Porzingis, ESPN's Shams Charania reported.

Porzingis has been out since Jan. 7 with Achilles tendinitis and an illness. In 17 games this season, he's averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Porzingis was listed as questionable for Thursday's Hawks game before the trade, so he should be returning to the court soon.

This finally ends the Kuminga trade saga after he demanded to be moved on Jan. 15.

What the Warriors Are Getting with Porzingis

When healthy, the 7'1" Latvian is a very productive stretch big. In 10 seasons, he's averaging 19.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.

He'll fit great with Draymond Green, who is at his best with a frontcourt partner who can stretch the floor and defend the rim.

The issue for Porzingis is his health.

Porzingis played just 42 games last season and 57 the year before. In 2024, he was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome that left him fatigued during that season's playoffs.

He's averaging just 24.3 minutes per game this season, but the Hawks' efforts to manage his minutes didn't lead to him playing a high rate of games.

So it's quite a gamble for the Warriors, but on talent alone, they easily won this trade.

What the Warriors Are Losing by Trading Kuminga and Hield

Kuminga had appeared in just two of the last 23 games, so they aren't losing someone who had been key to their performance recently.

But Kuminga was a key part of their 4-1 start to the season with his ability to score in the paint.

Porzingis does also score some in the paint (5.4 points in the paint per game), but Kuminga averages a bit more (6.6 PITP).

Put simply, Kuminga's rim pressure and ability to get to the free-throw line will be missed.

Meanwhile, Hield movement shooting, cutting and ability to attack closeouts made him an ideal fit in Steve Kerr's offense.

What came with that were some puzzling ball-handling decisions and defensive lapses, but at his best, Hield made a huge impact offensively.

Nothing can illustrate that more than when he had 33 points and nine threes in Golden State's Game 7 first-round series victory over the Houston Rockets last year.