Jonathan Kuminga's role with the Golden State Warriors was a constant talking point throughout his time with the Golden State, so much so that it may have overshadowed the injury concerns the young forward has regularly faced through his first five seasons.
The Warriors dealt with multiple Kuminga injuries over the past 18 months, and now the Atlanta Hawks are realizing the same concerns in the immediate aftermath of trading for the 23-year-old on Wednesday night.
Hawks rule Jonathan Kuminga out until after the All-Star break
Atlanta acquired Kuminga and veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield in a trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State, but the franchise has already announced that the former seventh overall pick won't make his team debut until at least after the All-Star break.
After 16-straight DNPs with the Warriors, Kuminga briefly returned to Steve Kerr's rotation in the wake of Jimmy Butler's season-ending knee injury. Yet after scoring 20 points in 21 minutes against the Toronto Raptors, and 10 points in nine minutes against the Dallas Mavericks, Kuminga limped off the floor in that second matchup with a knee injury.
There was initially hope that Kuminga could return before the trade deadline, but the Hawks have now revealed that the enigmatic forward will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break as he deals with a bone bruise in his left knee.
Hawks say Jonathan Kuminga, who sustained a left knee bone bruise while playing for Golden State at Dallas on Jan. 22, will be re-evaluated following the All-Star break.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 7, 2026
Kuminga was building real momentum last season before suffering a major ankle sprain that saw him miss 31-straight games. In the meantime the Warriors made a blockbuster move for Jimmy Butler before last year's trade deadline, and Kuminga never consistently managed to fit in again once he returned.
He did have a promising start to this season where he started the first 12 games, before Kuminga suffered another injury in the 13th which forced him to the sidelines for the next seven games.
As much as Steve Kerr and the coaching staff could often be blamed for halting any momentum Kuminga built, it was also frustrating injury concerns that played a role and often popped up at the most inopportune times.
Kuminga will be hoping that the Hawks now allow him to build consistency and develop into the star he's long envisioned of himself, but arriving with this injury concern is clearly a less than ideal opening to his time at the franchise.
Porzingis has also arrived at the Warriors with health concerns and won't play before the All-Star break either, leaving some disappointment for fans of both teams following the bombshell trade.