Hawks already have a Jonathan Kuminga problem Warriors dumped on them

Jonathan Kuminga's injury concern suffered at the Golden State Warriors has transferred to his new life at the Atlanta Hawks, setting up a problem for the young forward's new team over the remainder of the season and into the summer.

While the Hawks have only just acquired Kuminga, they'll almost instantly need to make a decision on the 23-year-old come the offseason, something that will be more difficult to do if he can't return to the floor and play consistently over the franchise's final 26 games.

Hawks have a Jonathan Kuminga problem thanks to current knee injury

Kuminga limped off the floor during the second-quarter of Golden State's January 22 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, having only just returned to Steve Kerr's rotation in the wake of Jimmy Butler's season-ending knee injury.

That was to be the last time Kuminga was seen on the floor in the Warrior uniform, with the former seventh overall pick traded to the Hawks earlier this month, along with veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield, in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.

Yet the wait is set to continue on Kuminga's debut with his new team after Atlanta announced on Wednesday that he'd be re-evaluated in approximately a week due to an ongoing left knee bone bruise.

If Golden State hadn't traded Kuminga before the deadline, they would have been forced to face the decision of whether to pick up his $24.3 million contract -- a deal he seemingly isn't worth -- or simply let him walk as an unrestricted free agent after five years.

This is a decision the Warriors have now dumped on the Hawks, yet there's more uncertainty for them because we're yet to actually see Kuminga in their system and under head coach Quin Snyder.

It became evident that Kuminga was never going to thrive playing for Steve Kerr, but because of the tumultuous relationship between the two, there's still a belief among some that the enigmatic forward can develop into a star.

In an ideal world for Atlanta, they'd gain a sample size to evaluate whether or not Kuminga can become that player in their system. However, the more time he misses with this current issue, obviously the less data they'll get to make an informed decision come the offseason.

There's a good chance the Hawks get to the offseason and pick up Kuminga's option not because they think it's great value, but because they're still fascinated by his potential even though it will be ahead of his sixth NBA season.

There's also a chance Atlanta pick it up and use it as a trade tool, but even then it would be far more beneficial if rival teams actually saw Kuminga outside the Warrior system. It's a less than ideal situation for both player and franchise, with Golden State perhaps benefiting from finally moving on from the Kuminga saga.