The Golden State Warriors finally moved on from Jonathan Kuminga at the trade deadline. It still feels a bit weird that it's over.
Now Kuminga will get a fresh start with the Atlanta Hawks along with former Warrior Buddy Hield. With a club option coming up this offseason and free agency looming after that, Kuminga must make the most of this opportunity.
On a Hawks team that is building for the future, that chance will be there. Some would argue it will be the first time in his career he's truly had that.
Kuminga is a capable scorer at and around the rim, and he should quickly impress Atlanta fans with that portion of his game. Yet the reasons he couldn't earn playing time consistently in Golden State remain, and he will soon learn a harsh lesson.
Jonathan Kuminga will face the same issues in Atlanta
Through Kuminga's four full seasons with the Warriors, there were three main reasons why his opportunities were limited.
Firstly, he was often injured. He missed lengthy stints both this season and last season due to various injuries, and the organization expressed frustration periodically at the progression of his rehab.
Secondly, there were the obvious spacing concerns. Kuminga is a non-shooter, and after the acquisition of Jimmy Butler, it was simply untenable to play him for extensive minutes.
Thirdly, and most importantly, he has refused throughout his career to rebound and defend consistently and with significant effort. These are the things that keep you on the court even if your offensive fit isn't perfect, and Kuminga failed to develop them on his rookie contract.
The fit concerns aren't as significant in Atlanta, but they are certainly not a rebuilding team with endless opportunities for Kuminga. They have talented young forwards in Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher. They also have a development project in Asa Newell and two first-round picks in this upcoming draft.
Their swing on Kuminga is likely a try-out of sorts. If he can prove his value to the rotation, he'll be able to survive the paring-down process that the next year-and-a-half will represent for the Hawks.
He is expected to be re-evaluated after the All-Star Break as he continues to deal with a knee injury. When he returns, he will get the chance to prove himself.
But this will require him, once again, to contribute more than microwave scoring off the bench. If he had ended up on a tanking team like the Brooklyn Nets, perhaps he could've become the primary option like everyone projected.
For now, though, he'll have to keep learning the lessons the Warriors tried to teach him for years. Hopefully they finally stick.