Jonathan Kuminga may have departed the Golden State Warriors for the Atlanta Hawks following Wednesday night's bombshell trade, but that hasn't stopped the franchise from kicking the young forward one more time on the way out.
Kuminga's up-and-down tenure with the franchise finally came to an end after nearly five years, yet Warrior general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has used the opportunity to seemingly have a crack at the 23-year-old's lack of availability in recent times.
Warriors kick Jonathan Kuminga one more time on his way out
Golden State moved Kuminga and veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield to the Hawks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis, leaving many fans underwhelmed given the veteran center's lengthy injury and health history.
Yet when asked about Porzingis and his availability concerns in his first interview since Wednesday's trade, Dunleavy made sure to throw a jab at Kuminga and provide a reminder that the Warriors sent out a player with their own injury problems.
"On the other end of it in terms of what we're sending out, we're sending out a player in a similar boat who struggled to stay on the floor," Dunleavy said in reference to Kuminga.
Mike Dunleavy on Kristaps Porzingis’ availability: “With where he’s at right now, where he’s been, we feel good about it. On the other end of it, we’re sending out a player in a similar boat who struggled to stay on the floor.” pic.twitter.com/TrEnMoBKVw
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 8, 2026
This was a rather shocking and perhaps unnecessary comment, particularly when it was seemingly unwarranted and in response to a question about Porzingis. In fairness, Dunleavy isn't necessarily wrong, yet it does add fuel to a fire that should have been extinguished by the trade itself.
Kuminga's agent Aaron Turner -- someone who became a key figure during the long restricted free agency stalemate last offseason -- certainly took notice of Dunleavy's comments and fired back on social media.
Nasty stuff Mike D. The Master of going low, without acting like your going low. 👏 😂
— Aaron Turner (@arockturner20) February 8, 2026
Kuminga missed 31-straight games last season due to a major ankle injury, while the momentum he built at the start of this season was also halted by an injury that saw him sidelined for seven games.
After being a DNP coaches decision for 16-straight games, Kuminga had a sudden opportunity to re-emerge in the rotation after Jimmy Butler's season-ending knee injury. He impressed with 30 points in 30 minutes across two games against the Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks, only to limp off the floor in the second-quarter of that second game due to a knee injury.
The Hawks have announced that Kuminga will be re-evaluated after the All-Star break, putting on hold a debut with his new team. The Warriors equally revealed on Saturday that Porzingis will be held out until after the All-Star break as he manages achilles tendinitis.
While many Warrior fans will continue to monitor Kuminga's progress at the Hawks going forward, it's time for those within the organization to move on and resist such controversial public comments.