Jonathan Kuminga has played three games for the Atlanta Hawks. And based on what he’s shown so far, it looks like the Hawks won the trade deadline deal between them and the Golden State Warriors – by a mile.
Although the sample size is too small, Kuminga is posting career-high numbers as a member of the Hawks. When Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard asked Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy if he’s heard about what JK is doing in Atlanta, he said he’s too busy to watch other teams’ games.
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“I haven’t watched anything yet,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve been really busy with stuff here in a myriad of different ways.”
The Hawks are 3-0 with Kuminga playing
With Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry both injured and the Warriors on the bubble at just No.8 in the Western Conference team standings and only two games from dropping to the 10th spot, Dunleavy indeed has a lot on his plate these days.
Even if they make the playoffs, it doesn’t look like they have the talent to go on a deep playoff run.
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Meanwhile, the Hawks have won five in a row and have climbed to the 10th spot in the East with a 32-31 record, which is at par with the Warriors’ 31-30 mark, percentage-wise at .508. Atlanta has won all three games that Kuminga has played, and he’s averaging 21.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game as a Hawk.
When told of that, Dunleavy gave JK his flowers.
“I think with JK all along, I mean, the talent is there. This guy is a good basketball player when he plays the right way, when he does the right things. We wish him the best. I think he could do really well,” added Dunleavy. “He’s a talented player and for many stretches across his career here with the Warriors, he had some big games, some big moments and some great stretches. We know he’s capable of that.”
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Dunleavy said he had no choice but to trade Kuminga
But good as Kuminga is, the Warriors never found a way to find a spot for him in Steve Kerr’s rotation. Well, he was a contributor at first, but Kerr suddenly stripped him of his place on the team and froze him on the bench, for no apparent reason.
When asked if they could have held on to JK longer, Dunleavy said it was Jonathan who asked to be traded and he merely obliged.
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“I think you guys know, it’s been put out there about the trade demand [by Kuminga before the deadline] and I think any time a player wants that, I want to try to accommodate,” Dunleavy explained. “You want people who want to be here. And for that reason, we felt it was the right time to move on. I think JK’s happy about it, I think we’re in the right spot for it, it was just kind of the right thing to do at the time.”
It’s crazy how Dunleavy blames Kuminga’s trade demand for his departure from The Bay. It’s ridiculous for him to say he wants players who want to be in Golden State because JK never complained when they benched him for so many games that many were worried about his mental health.
But Kuminga was a pro’s pro. He did not ask to be traded until the signing moratorium was over. Based on what he said about why JK was traded, it’s hard to believe he hasn’t seen or even just heard what Kuminga has done in Atlanta.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.