The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have finally had their war against one another finalized as a trade has finally happened. After spending the first five years of his career with the team, they have finally found the trade partner to work things out ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. Let’s take a closer look at the full trade and discuss what this means for both sides.
Jonathan Kuminga is traded to the Atlanta Hawks
UIJonathan Kuminga is an interesting case study as he had requested a trade multiple times, but finally had that granted. This comes after Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. made a memorable quote about the whole situation:
“When you make a demand, there needs to be a demand on the market. So we’ll see where that unfolds. But always with these guys, I’m willing to work with them.”
It appears the demand was there as the Atlanta Hawks have acquired both him and guard Buddy Hield. Jonathan Kuminga has been limited to 20 games this season (13 starts) after signing a two-year, $48.5 million contract as a restricted free agent in the offseason. He is averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over 23.8 minutes per game.
Hield is a veteran who has been able to be a good player off the bench as a veteran guard. With a young Hawks team, this could be a good fit if they want to keep him on the team.
Kristaps Porzingis is heading to the Golden State Warriors
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Warriors are getting veteran center Kristaps Porzingis in return. Porzingis is going to be an intriguing fit with guard Stephen Curry when he is able to be in the lineup.
Porzingis has appeared in 17 games (12 starts) and is averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 24.3 minutes. He is able to extend the floor as well, shooting 36.0% from beyond the arc. Notably, this trade frees up a roster spot for Golden State, who are one of the teams actively pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline.
It will be intriguing to see how Porzingis fits in Steve Kerr’s system and if this helps the Warriors get over the edge in a loaded Western Conference.
