Jonathan Kuminga’s next stop may end up telling the NBA exactly what kind of player he can be.
After the Golden State Warriors moved on from him at the trade deadline, sending Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, the forward is back in the middle of league chatter. The latest wrinkle came when the Hawks declined the player option the Warriors had built into Kuminga’s contract for 2026-27, putting him back on the market and drawing interest from a long list of teams.
According to Michael Scotto’s HoopsHype intel round-up, the Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers all remain in the mix for Kuminga on a short-term deal. For a while, the Lakers were seen as the leading candidate, but Los Angeles and Atlanta have reportedly run into problems figuring out the contracts that would go back in a sign-and-trade. That opens the door for the other teams to push harder.
Not every landing spot would help Kuminga in the same way. Cleveland and Los Angeles would both be respectable outcomes, but they may not give him the kind of runway he needs to show what he can really become. The better fit, from that angle, would be Milwaukee or the Clippers.
That’s been the central question around Kuminga for years: put him on a team that actually hands him a consistent starting job, and does he grow into the slashing, high-octane forward so many believed he could be? He got some minutes after the move to Atlanta last season, but not the kind of opportunity that would settle the debate. Kuminga didn’t start once with the Hawks, and in that stretch he averaged 10.2 points while shooting 42.1% from the field in 21.1 minutes per game.
Atlanta also doesn’t look like the place where that changes. As long as Jalen Johnson is there, Kuminga isn’t getting that full-time runway.
Cleveland isn’t much different. Even with Dean Wade gone to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Cavaliers still have Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen soaking up most of the frontcourt minutes, with Nae’Qwan Tomlin also emerging as a steady piece.
The Lakers could offer a starting role, but the fit comes with its own complications. Walker Kessler’s lack of spacing and the ball-heavy nature of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic could leave Kuminga doing more of the dirty work as a rebounder and defender than playing to his strengths as a scorer.
That’s why Milwaukee stands out. Even after the haul the Bucks brought back in the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, the roster still looks wide open. Kyle Kuzma doesn’t seem untouchable, and Tyler Herro already being on the roster wouldn’t block Kuminga from getting the kind of usage that would let him prove he can score with the ball in his hands.
The Clippers offer a similar path. If the Kawhi Leonard trade is completed before the season starts, Rui Hachimura is projected to open as their starting power forward. Hachimura shot it well from deep for the Lakers last season, but Kuminga would have a real chance to take that job as Los Angeles begins what looks like a rebuild.
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