Kuminga becomes a free agent! Hawks decline $24.3 million option, Kings and Cavaliers show interest in signing him

On June 30, Beijing time, the Atlanta Hawks opted not to exercise the $24.3 million team option on Jonathan Kuminga, officially making him a free agent. Multiple reporters later noted interest from the Kings and Cavaliers in acquiring Kuminga.

Kuminga will be 24 years old before the next season begins. He was traded to the Hawks in February, playing 16 regular-season games where he averaged 22.1 minutes, 12.3 points, and 5.3 rebounds per game.

This transaction originated from a prolonged contract dispute with the Golden State Warriors during the offseason, and before that, he had long been dissatisfied with his role on the team. At that time, the Warriors sent Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis.

When healthy, Kuminga displayed highly appealing talent potential: in his Hawks debut against the Wizards on February 24, he scored 27 points. However, in the remaining regular-season games after that, coming off the bench, he only scored over 20 points twice.

The Hawks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks. In the two games the Hawks won, Kuminga scored 19 and 21 points, respectively, once helping the Hawks take a 2-1 series lead. However, in the three subsequent losses, he totaled only 34 points, experiencing a significant decline in performance.

Kuminga was the 7th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, averaging 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over his five-year career.