Jonathan Kuminga’s injury update may have reopened the Golden State Warriors’ biggest deadline wound. According to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the Atlanta Hawks upgraded Kuminga to questionable ahead of their matchup with the Washington Wizards, with the expectation that he will make his team debut. For Atlanta, that signals the beginning of a long-term evaluation. For Golden State, it underscores an uncomfortable reality about the Kristaps Porziņģis trade.
Kuminga hasn’t played since being dealt at the deadline, but the Hawks made it clear why they wanted him. General manager Onsi Saleh detailed the vision shortly after the move.
“I think the things that he helps us with are his rim pressure that he puts on. He’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s a good rebounder. I think in transition, he could be absolutely phenomenal, and he adds size at the wing position if we ever need to add another defender to guard one of these bigger wings in the league. So, really excited about Jonathan.”
That blueprint still makes sense. Kuminga is averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 23.8 minutes this season. In 13 starts, those numbers jump to 14.1 points and 6.8 rebounds. Atlanta has experimented with its rotation, even recently bringing former No.1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher off the bench against the Brooklyn Nets while veteran guard C.J. McCollum stepped into the starting lineup.
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Kuminga’s size and athleticism give the Hawks flexibility on the wing and in transition. For a team already leaning on size and versatility led by first-time All-Star forward Jalen Johnson, Kuminga can finally assert himself in a role where he can be featured as a high-volume, on-ball second option.
Where Risacher fits in all that is still up for discussion amongst Atlanta's front office, but evaluating Kuminga as a long-term building block for this team is likely their top priority as a team sitting firmly in the Play-In tournament picture and potentially two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.
But as Kuminga inches toward his debut, the spotlight shifts back to Golden State.
The Warriors moved Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Porziņģis in a swing built around size, spacing and rim protection. Weeks later, they have little to show for it. Porziņģis has appeared in just one game since the trade and is set to miss at least two more after not traveling with the team for its road back-to-back against the New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies.
The availability concerns are not new. Porziņģis had already missed 13 consecutive games before the trade and three more afterward while managing Achilles tendinitis. In his lone Warriors appearance, he logged 17 minutes and flashed upside with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, two made threes and a block. The fit looked real. The durability remains theoretical.
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That is the brutal truth. Golden State traded the 23-year-old wing for a 7-foot-2 center whose impact may never fully materialize this season. Porziņģis is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. The Warriors will have to decide whether to invest again based more on projection than proof.
If he stays healthy, the trade can still make sense. But until that happens, Kuminga’s move in Atlanta will serve as a weekly reminder of the risk Golden State chose to take.
