ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday that the Atlanta Hawks have declined Jonathan Kuminga‘s $24.3 million team option. Kuminga will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent after a 2025-26 season of starting for the Golden State Warriors and eventually getting traded to Atlanta.
With the Hawks, Kuminga’s production wasn’t much different. He averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 47.6% shooting. He posted similar numbers in his first 20 games of the season, which were with the Warriors.
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Ahead of the offseason, some teams could benefit from having Kuminga.
5 NBA Teams That Can’t Afford to Miss Jonathan Kuminga
#1 Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have been linked to Jonathan Kuminga even before the Warriors traded him to the Hawks last season. Now that he’s available, the Kings could try to offer him a deal below his ideal $25 million per year salary.
Andscape’s Marc J. Spears also posted on X that the Kings are reportedly interested in pursuing the forward.
“The Sacramento Kings had strong interest in Jonathan Kuminga before he was dealt from the Golden State Warriors to the Atlanta Hawks and are expected to be interested in him now as a free agent,” Spears wrote on X.
However, The Athletic’s Sam Amick countered the claim from Spears and posted on X that Sacramento is not interested in Kuminga.
#2 Cleveland Cavaliers
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported on Monday that the Cleveland Cavaliers are a potential landing spot for Jonathan Kuminga. The Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference finals by the New York Knicks and found a hole in their roster.
Their starting forwards couldn’t hide the defensive flaws of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Having a player like Kuminga could help improve their perimeter defense with his athleticism.
#3 LA Lakers
The LA Lakers could be a team to watch to potentially pursue Kuminga. There’s a chance that LeBron James could leave LA and sign with a different franchise this summer. The upcoming free agent could be the team’s backup option to give Luka Doncic more help in the West.
Kuminga is an ideal player for the Lakers since he’s young enough and could match Doncic’s timeline. This will also allow the team to give Austin Reaves more freedom to be a productive No. 2 behind the Slovenian star.
#4 Portland Trail Blazers
After the Portland Trail Blazers traded for Ja Morant, it opened a new problem for the team. Since they have a collection of point guards, the Blazers will need a complementary two-way forward to strengthen their roster.
Jonathan Kuminga is one of the best available free agents who could fit that mold for the Blazers. Signing Kuminga could solve that problem, especially after they lost Jerami Grant in the trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.
#5 Miami Heat
The Miami Heat needs depth in their roster after they acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks. They are a top-heavy team with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Having Kuminga come off the bench will give the Heat more options on offense, especially when both stars are resting on the bench.
The Heat has enough space below the first apron, which they can use to sign Kuminga. Another option for them is to sign the forward to a mid-level exception.
Edited by Reign Amurao
