With the Jonathan Kuminga saga finally over, the Golden State Warriors can finally move on.
Kuminga, the Warriors’ lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, struggled to find consistency and was given little leeway to work through his mistakes and shortcomings. In several ways, Kuminga was a victim of the misalignment between the front office/ownership, who wanted to develop while competing for titles, and the coaching staff, who was focused purely on doing whatever they could to give them the best chance at winning.
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With Kuminga’s trade to the Atlanta Hawks that sent him and Buddy Hield eastward (in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis), a fresh start and opportunity for him to become the player he wants to be is at hand. However, per sources that told NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson, Kuminga and his camp were reportedly “shocked” that he ultimately ended up in Atlanta.
But beggars can’t be choosers. Kuminga publicly requested a trade; the Warriors, pivoting from their pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo, chose to send him and Hield to Atlanta for Porzingis, who presents as a health/availability risk but would be a massive boon to their chances to make noise in the postseason.
By all reports, Kuminga left the Warriors on good terms with his now-former teammates. Draymond Green, after their win against the Phoenix Suns last night, made sure to speak highly of Kuminga and wish him luck in his new environment.