It's not only the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks who've held concerns over Jonathan Kuminga's ability to be a starting-level player in the NBA, but also the Chicago Bulls who wouldn't promise the young forward such a role despite their interest in him during free agency.
It's a concern the Minnesota Timberwolves have chosen to ignore, filling their vacant power forward spot by signing Kuminga last month and emboldening the 23-year-old with the expectation of a starting role from opening night.
Bulls shared Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga concern
Chicago had initially been linked to Kuminga last offseason during his free agency stalemate with Golden State. While nothing came close to taking place at that juncture, it's not overly surprising to read Joel Lorenzi of the Athletic report that the Bulls did renew free agency interest in Kuminga before his move to the Timberwolves.
“The Bulls wouldn’t promise Kuminga he’d start or close games most nights, considering the franchise’s most coveted young talents are also forwards. This is to say nothing of Kuminga’s playstyle or decision-making reputation. In a role and contract considerate of those things, Chicago was willing to take a swing at his talent," Lorenzi reported.
Kuminga landing with the Bulls would have made for an intriguing forward combination with he, fourth overall pick Caleb Wilson, and former 11th overall pick Matas Buzelis. Chicago may have been right not to promise Kuminga anything with that even younger duo already in place, but whichever way you slice it it's another team who didn't view the former seventh overall pick as a bonafide starter.
For years Steve Kerr and the Warriors were criticized for their handling of Kuminga. While they still do deserve some blame for how his career played out at the franchise, they've also been justified to some degree by the Hawks' decision to quickly move on, and by his free agency this summer where teams like the Bulls were only willing to bite in the right circumstance.
Timberwolves going against league consensus with Jonathan Kuminga
The simple fact is that Kuminga being unable to generate more than a two-year, $12.4 million contract in free agency reflects a consensus across the league that he's not a genuine starter on a good team.
The Timberwolves, however, are going against that consensus by enticing Kuminga not through a lucrative financial deal, but by the promise of a major role that the Warriors, Hawks and now seemingly the Bulls weren't prepared to give him.
Between Kuminga and the incredibly talented LaMelo Ball, the Timberwolves are taking the sort of risk that makes them one of the most fascinating and must-watch teams in the league entering the season.
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