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Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga celebrates his basket against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Atlanta. (Mike Stewart/AP)
Atlanta Hawks fans have already fallen in love with former Warriors draft pick Jonathan Kuminga, but at the expense of Golden State.
The Hawks have won three straight with the ex-Dubs forward in the lineup, with three impressive outings during that stretch. On Sunday, Kuminga scored 20 points, nabbed seven rebounds and picked up two steals in a 135-101 win against the Trail Blazers. When he got to the free-throw line at the end of the first quarter, a group of fans even started a "Thank you, Warriors" chant.
This mock appreciation wasn't just a fan thing. Atlanta Hawks color commentator Dominique Wilkins gave a big thank-you to the Warriors organization too. After Kuminga threw down a monster dunk in the fourth, the Hall of Famer declared, "Oh, man! Thank you, Golden State Warriors. We appreciate it!" and later said, "How you give up on a guy that young with that ability is beyond me."
The early returns appear to reflect poorly on the Warriors. The guy who never got consistent minutes throughout his tenure in San Francisco has quickly shown what he's capable of with regular playing time. By all accounts, it looks like Atlanta trusts him to play his game in a way Golden State never did. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder complimented the 23-year-old on his effort, ball movement and selfless gameplay, while Warriors head coach Steve Kerr criticized Kuminga for lacking those elements in his game. Out West, Kuminga bemoaned the playing style he was pigeonholed into. In the East, he's celebrating his role.
"I think he just wants me to be me: Be a two-way guy, be you, go out there and have fun," Kuminga said, referring to his new coach. "As long as I bring that energy, no matter what, no matter if it is my night or somebody else's night, you know? That is all they want me to be. Just go out there and be you and impact winning - that is the biggest thing - and the rest is going to fall in line."
On top of all that, the Warriors have gone a disappointing 4-5 since trading Kuminga away for Kristaps Porzinigs, the supposed star they acquired to play with Steph Curry (who is expected to miss quite a bit of time due to injury). But so far, the big man has played just one out of a possible eight games dealing with health issues, and there isn't much clarity as to when (or even if) he will return to the floor for the Dubs.
But it might still be too early to declare Golden State screwed up in its decision to move on from Kuminga for little in return. After all, this season began with what looked to be a new and improved version of the former seventh overall pick, only for that excitement to quickly dissipate. These performances have also come against only two opponents: Twice against the now-16-43 Washington Wizards, and once against the Trail Blazers, who are 10th in the conference.
Time will tell whether those gracious chants from Hawks fans will continue as the season goes on.
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This article originally published at Jonathan Kuminga is making the Warriors trade look incredibly one-sided.
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