Jonathan Kuminga’s time with the Golden State Warriors was anything but ordinary. Drafted seventh overall in 2021, he entered the league with sky-high potential and left the Bay five years later still carrying the weight of what could be. His journey was filled with flashes of brilliance, stretches of frustration, and ultimately, a split that felt inevitable.
Let’s rewind to the beginning. Kuminga walked into a championship-caliber roster as a raw, athletic prospect - and walked away from his rookie season with a ring.
He didn’t play a huge role in that title run, but he did have his moments. The most memorable stretch came during the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals against the Grizzlies, when he was thrust into the starting lineup for three games.
Game 3 was his coming-out party: 18 points, perfect inside the arc, and a couple of threes to boot. He followed that up with back-to-back 17-point performances in Game 5 and the opening game of the Western Conference Finals.
It was enough to make people take notice. Kuminga had arrived - or so it seemed.
By his third season, Kuminga had carved out a bigger role and was starting to look like a legitimate long-term piece for Golden State. He thrived as a slasher, even in an offense that didn’t do him many favors spacing-wise.
Playing alongside Draymond Green - who was shooting just 30.5% from deep - meant the paint was often crowded, but Kuminga still found ways to get downhill and finish. There were whispers that he could be the eventual successor to Andrew Wiggins.
The tools were there. The flashes were real.
But somewhere along the way, things stalled.
Fast forward to the present, and Kuminga’s trajectory has shifted. He didn’t get the contract extension he wanted. Instead, he had to wait until training camp for a one-year "prove-it" deal with a club option - a clear sign that the Warriors were no longer fully sold on his future with the team.
The relationship reportedly soured further behind the scenes. According to league insiders, the Warriors saw Kuminga as more of an Aaron Gordon-type - a high-level role player with elite athleticism and defensive upside.
Kuminga, on the other hand, believed he was on a Jalen Johnson-type path - a rising star with the potential to be a foundational piece. That disconnect in valuation became a sticking point.
And then things got, well, a little petty. Reports surfaced that the franchise, valued at a staggering $10 billion, was annoyed about Kuminga taking too much free food from the family room.
Yes, really. By that point, Kuminga had already started mentally checking out.
He saw the writing on the wall and began preparing for the next chapter before the trade deadline even hit.
Now, that chapter begins in Atlanta.
Despite the rocky ending in Golden State, Warriors fans haven’t forgotten what Kuminga once looked like. They remember the high-flying dunks, the defensive flashes, and those few playoff games where he looked like a future star.
Sure, he wasn’t always the cleanest fit in Steve Kerr’s system - both on and off the court - but the raw talent is still there. And in the right environment, it could still be unlocked.
Enter Quin Snyder and the Hawks.
Atlanta offers Kuminga a fresh start, and perhaps more importantly, a system that could better suit his skill set. Snyder’s offense emphasizes movement, unselfishness, and spacing - all things that could help Kuminga take the next step.
He’ll begin as a sixth man, likely behind Jalen Johnson and Zaccharie Risacher, but the opportunity is there. If he can tighten up his playmaking, sharpen his defensive awareness, and buy into the team concept, there’s a real path toward a bigger role - and maybe even the payday he’s been chasing.
There’s still a sense of curiosity around Kuminga - both from fans in the Bay and around the league. Can he recapture the promise that made him a top-10 pick? Can he evolve from an athletic marvel into a consistently impactful NBA player?
Time will tell. But for now, the spotlight shifts to Atlanta, where Kuminga has a chance to rewrite his story. Warriors fans may no longer be part of his day-to-day, but you can bet they’ll be watching.