The Atlanta Hawks are a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference, and they have an opportunity to build on their momentum this summer. With Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher, they already have a solid and competitive young core, but a few trades could move them into a whole different tier of contention.
When it comes to swingman Jonathan Kuminga, who has played just 16 games for the team, his future is arguably the most uncertain. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Hawks have been shopping the 6’7″ forward ahead of this summer’s draft, leading to suspicions that he’s played his last games in Atlanta. While they could just decline his $24.3 million team option, it makes more sense to keep him on the books to recoup assets in return.
“Furthermore, Atlanta has a $24.3 million team option for the 2026-27 season on Kuminga, who scored 40 combined points in two Hawks wins against the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs,” wrote Scotto. “The Hawks have conducted their due diligence and gauged Kuminga’s value on the trade market ahead of the draft, league sources told HoopsHype. With that said, the 23-year-old forward returning to the Hawks next season remains a real possibility.”
Kuminga had a small resurgence with the Hawks after a miserable stretch in San Francisco, averaging 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 47.6% shooting and 34.6% shooting from three. His performance off the bench helped the Hawks land the sixth and final playoff spot, pushing the New York Knicks as far as six games in the first-round series.
But with Kuminga’s fit questionable, and the star swingman likely to demand a massive pay raise on his next contract, the Hawks may be better off trading him now than opting to begin extension talks during the season. While he’s not a star by any means, Kuminga can still make a positive impact for any team, provided he’s put in a position to succeed.
On paper, the 23-year-old swingman should be an ideal trade target, but the Warriors had to package him and Buddy Hield together in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. It’s unknown what his trade value is now, but we can expect a few teams to show interest following his strong showing in the playoffs this year.
One such team is the Brooklyn Nets, who have a lot of cap space and plenty of room for a developing young star. They only finished 13th in the East this past season (20-62), but they do have some win-now pieces in the form of Nic Claxton and Michael Porter Jr. Someone like Terance Mann would be the perfect return for the Hawks, and they might be able to convince the Nets to part with a future pick in the deal.
The Charlotte Hornets make another fitting option as they look to build on their momentum from the 2025-26 regular season. Kuminga could thrive on a team loaded with shooters, including LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel. For the Hornets, all it would take is someone like Coby White, attached with the appropriate draft capital.
Ultimately, only time will tell what happens with Kuminga, but it’s clear that the Hawks view him as expendable. That’s why, if they get the right offer, they won’t hesitate to trade him this summer as they look to climb the NBA hierarchy.
