Is Jonathan Kuminga truly a future star in the NBA, or has he just been held back by Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors? It's a question that's been left unanswered for years, but one that's soon about to resolved with the young forward nearing his Atlanta Hawks debut.
Having been traded by the Warriors to the Hawks before the deadline, Kuminga has remained sidelined by a knee injury he sustained in what resulted as his final game with Golden State in Dallas last month.
The 23-year-old has been upgraded to questionable for Atlanta's meeting with Washington on Monday, suggesting he could be in line for a highly anticipated debut with his new team.
Jonathan Kuminga question is about to be answered once and for all
With Kuminga nearly five years and 300 games through his NBA career, most would consider that the potential for stardom has expired, and that from here, the best outcome would be for the former seventh overall pick to carve his way into being a high level starter -- something he flashed through the opening fortnight of this season with the Warriors.
However, at just 23-years-old, Kuminga also has his fans who believe the sky is still the limit thanks to the way in which Kerr and Golden State have held him back over the course of his entire career.
As a result, Kuminga bas been one of the most divisive and highly debated players in the league across recent years, but we should be about to get answer once and for all on who exactly he is as a player.
An @emoryhealthcare injury report for tomorrow’s game vs. Washington:
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) February 23, 2026
Jonathan Kuminga (left knee bone bruise): Questionable pic.twitter.com/E7ZM3geKs9
The good news for Kuminga is that the pathway in Atlanta may be clearer than first thought, with head coach Quin Snyder choosing to bench former first overall pick Zaccharie Risascher on Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets.
It's interesting that the Hawks would remove Risacher -- another young forward -- from the starting lineup for the first time this season just as Kuminga prepares for his debut. Atlanta started CJ McCollum in Risascher's place against the Nets, but you wouldn't think the veteran guard would keep Kuminga from a starting role if he forces Snyder's hand with strong performances.
Veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield has played only once and been out of the Hawks' rotation since the bombshell trade, while Kristaps Porzingis too has only appeared once for the Warriors and will now miss at least the next two games due to illness.
That means the early trade returns for both teams have been underwhelming, but Kuminga has a chance to start changing that if he's upgraded to available against the Wizards.