Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The saga between the Golden State Warriors and forward Jonathan Kuminga came to an end this week with the team trading him to the Atlanta Hawks. After a public and tense relationship, Golden State moved on from its former first-round draft pick, landing center Kristaps Porzingis in the process. 

The Warriors originally had plans to put Kuminga into the core of this organization, but inconsistency on the floor and a weird feud with head coach Steve Kerr limited his time. It was the right decision to move on from one another, and now each side can start fresh and remember the other as a piece in the history books.

Now with the Hawks, Kuminga could be given a larger role with the team, something that he has wanted from the Warriors. However, there does seem to be some thought of Atlanta flipping him to another squad before the trade deadline expires.

The Hawks don’t fully need Kuminga since they have plenty of other wing players on the roster. Atlanta could look around the league to canvas interest in the forward, and if they can find the right deal, maybe they ship him out.

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Hawks Move Jonathan Kuminga to Kings?

One team that showed a heavy amount of interest in Kuminga, both during the offseason and this year, is the Sacramento Kings. Sacramento is looking to reset everything, and adding a young, up-and-coming forward like Kuminga could help them with this cause.

The biggest obstacle in a trade between the Kings and Warriors was Golden State’s insistence on not taking back any non-expiring salaries. The Kings wanted to attach guard Malik Monk in a deal, and talks started to decline from there.

The Kings and Warriors are also rivals of sorts, so making a trade like this can always be tricky. But for the Hawks and Kings, there could be some common ground taking place that may be able to push a deal over the top.

Here is how a trade could look between the two sides:

Sacramento Kings receive: Jonathan Kuminga

Atlanta Hawks receive: DeMar DeRozan and a second-round draft pick

Why Sacramento Kings Trade For Jonathan Kuminga

Kuminga could give the Kings team some extra depth along the wing, and due to his upside, Sacramento would be given a future piece to build around. The young forward works best when he can slash to the rim, and with the Kings likely undergoing a full roster retool soon, he could have more opportunities to score the ball.

The biggest issue with Kuminga has been his 3-point shooting consistency, and he would need to keep working on this with Sacramento. But the Kings have the means to take a gamble on a young player, and both sides could benefit from a deal.

The Kings want to get younger, and moving away from DeRozan has been a plan for some time now. Swapping the two gives this team a building block, and they can start the rebuild process this year, rather than just in the offseason.

Why Atlanta Hawks Trade For DeMar DeRozan

For the Hawks, they are in a win-now situation this season, and adding a proven scoring threat like DeRozan could make a lot of sense. Yes, losing the younger player is tough, but Atlanta has plenty of wing players who can continue developing.

The Hawks had shown interest in bringing DeRozan to town a while ago, and this could be a way for them to finally make it happen. His ability to generate offense could help them down the stretch, and it would make things easier for the rest of the roster.

Next season, DeRozan will be on a $25.7 million expiring contract that Atlanta could use in another trade to land future assets. This move doesn’t break the bank for the Hawks, and they add a player who has averaged 19.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game this season.

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