Only months after he finally got himself out of the Golden State Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga faces another important juncture in his career as the Atlanta Hawks hold a $24.3 million team option on the young forward.
Kuminga's future subsequently remains a little uncertain after a disappointing end to their first-round playoff series, but it did gain some clarity on Saturday in a report on the Hawks' disinterest in a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jonathan Kuminga's future gets clearer after latest Giannis report
With a talented young core and a plethora of future draft capital that includes the right to the better first-round pick between the Milwaukee Bucks and New Orleans Pelicans this year, the Hawks could theoretically get into the mix for Antetokounmpo as his future again draws significant speculation.
Yet according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line on Saturday, the Hawks are not expected to pursue Antetokounmpo this summer, rather they'll look to solidify Kuminga's future along with that of fellow mid-season trade acquisition CJ McCollum.
"I've received no indication to this point that the Hawks have designs on pursuing Antetokounmpo via trade this summer," Fischer wrote. "Sources say that Atlanta is not eager to splurge for major roster additions, preferring to focus on internal improvement and addressing the futures of CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kuminga along with coach Quin Snyder (who has only one season left on his current contract)."
Given their somewhat overlapping skillsets and position, it's impossible to see a world where Atlanta would have tried to pair Antetokounmpo with Jalen Johnson while also keeping Kuminga on the roster.
Kuminga's salary would likely be involved in an Antetokounmpo trade if the Hawks went down that path, but that doesn't appear to be the case at this point despite the obvious allure of the superstar forward.
Warriors tried to trade Jonathan Kuminga for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Before they ultimately moved him to the Hawks for veteran center Kristaps Porzingis, the Warriors pursued an Antetokounmpo trade that would have almost certainly included Kuminga and fellow forward Draymond Green (among others).
It was just another example of a failed Kuminga trade before he was finally sent to the Hawks, having failed to generate much consistency and assurance with Golden State over his nearly five years at the franchise after being drafted seventh overall in 2021.
Having finally closed the chapter on his Warrior career, Kuminga will be happy that the Hawks see him as a long-term piece who they could now look to re-sign on a significant multi-year deal this offseason.
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