The future of former Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga may have gained some significant clarity on Wednesday, with the Atlanta Hawks signing general manager Onsi Saleh to a long-term contract extension and promoting him to President of Basketball Operations.
Saleh, who was previously an executive at the Warriors prior to his move to the Hawks, brought Kuminga to Atlanta in part thanks to his relationship with the young forward and those within the Golden State front office.
Jonathan Kuminga's future suddenly clearer after Osni Saleh extension
There had been murmurs of rival teams looking to poach Saleh from the Hawks, potentially leading to this new deal as the franchise locks in one of their key pieces. No one may be more impacted than Kuminga though, with the Hawks holding a $24.3 million team option on the former seventh overall pick's deal for next season.
Barring a home-run trade for someone like Jaylen Brown or another big-name star, it seems highly unlikely that Saleh and Atlanta would move on from Kuminga just months after he and Buddy Hield were acquired from Golden State for Kristaps Porzingis.
Had Saleh been poached and the Hawks were forced into hiring a new general manager, that person could have had vastly different thoughts on Kuminga and his fit with the franchise after they were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs by the now Finals-bound New York Knicks.
The Atlanta Hawks are signing general manager Onsi Saleh to a long-term contract extension and promoting him to President of Basketball Operations, sources tell ESPN. Saleh – runner up for 2026 league executive of the year – took over as Hawks GM last offseason after joining… pic.twitter.com/9DrBUDxTnF
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 27, 2026
This doesn't mean Saleh and the Hawks will simply pick up Kuminga's team option, but rather they could opt out and renegotiate a new long-term deal that the 23-year-old was initially craving as a restricted free agent with the Warriors 12 months ago.
Jonathan Kuminga experienced mixed start with the Hawks
Kuminga's move to Atlanta drew plenty of attention given how his career played out with Golden State, but he remained a very similar player to the one that spent nearly five years in the Bay Area.
His numbers with the Warriors and Hawks this season were remarkably similar, though the impact was significant in Games 2 and 3 of the first-round when Atlanta took a brief 2-1 lead. Unfortunately like his team, Kuminga's close to the series was disappointing and has left some question marks on his next contract.
Only time will tell what Kuminga's next deal will look like, but confirmation of Saleh's future at the Hawks seemingly solidifies his own fate with the team, while also increasing the chances of a major multi-year pay day.
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