Warriors trade Kuminga, Hield to Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis

The Golden State Warriors have agreed to trade forward Jonathan Kuminga and guard Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for center Kristaps Porzingis, according to sources.

Separately, the Warriors also sent center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors in return for a 2026 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers, sources said, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.

Kuminga’s stint with Golden State comes to an end after four and a half turbulent seasons, during which the 23-year-old wing frequently struggled to secure a consistent role in Steve Kerr’s rotation. Selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga periodically showcased his upside as an explosive, athletic wing, but he ultimately failed to fully mesh with the rest of the roster on the floor. That disconnect became even more pronounced following the Warriors’ trade to acquire Jimmy Butler last season.

Following a contentious contract negotiation over the summer, Kuminga agreed to a two-year contract that includes a team option worth $24 million for next season. Because of the timing of that deal, he was not eligible to be traded until Jan. 15.

According to sources, the Warriors had been targeting Porzingis for the past several months. Meanwhile, Hawks coach Quin Snyder and Atlanta’s front office add a high-upside wing in Kuminga along with Hield, one of the league’s most reliable perimeter shooters, who owns a career 39.5% shooting mark from beyond the arc.

Kuminga opened the season as a starter in Golden State’s first 12 games. However, after the team fell into a slump, he was moved to the bench and then dropped out of the rotation entirely after 13 games. He later regained minutes following Butler’s season-ending injury, but his momentum was halted when he suffered a knee injury of his own.

Porzingis began the season strong, averaging 19.2 points over his first 13 games with the Hawks, who had acquired the Latvian center in an offseason trade with the Boston Celtics. His season, however, was disrupted by what the team described as an illness that kept him sidelined for most of December. While playing for Boston last season, Porzingis had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), an autonomic nervous system disorder that significantly limited his availability during the playoffs.

Porzingis has said that his doctors identified ways over the summer to better manage his condition, and that he entered the season feeling healthy. He returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 after missing roughly a month, but appeared in only four games before being sidelined again for several weeks. He has not played since Jan. 7.

When healthy, Porzingis is considered an elite stretch center and, at 7-foot-2, ranks among the NBA’s top rim protectors. He is in the final year of a $30.7 million contract and is scheduled to become a free agent this summer.

Kuminga holds career averages of 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev