Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga has been ruled out for Friday’s game in Houston due to a left knee issue, but is expected to return Saturday for his first matchup against the Warriors, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area.
As you know, Kuminga’s time with Golden State didn’t exactly click, though coach Steve Kerr made it clear there’s no lingering tension.
“To be honest, I haven’t given (the first matchup against Kuminga) much thought because we’re trying to win a damn game,” Kerr told Nick Friedell of The Athletic. “But I can tell you that everybody likes JK. Everybody on our team wants the best for him. I want the best for him.
“… I think players need the right set of circumstances to thrive. And the trade made sense because these were not the right circumstances for JK. And you can see right away that Kristaps (Porzingis) has a very clear role on this team, something we’ve needed for years. And we’re looking forward to getting him out there with Steph (Curry). And so in the end, hopefully it’s a trade that works for both guys and both teams.”
Kerr pointed to fit more than anything else, noting the Warriors needed clearer roles and found one in Kristaps Porzingis after the deal.
“I think players need the right set of circumstances to thrive,” Kerr said.
Kuminga, meanwhile, still has ties to the organization. One of them is Hawks GM Onsi Saleh, who previously worked in Golden State’s front office.
“He was somebody that you could really sit down and communicate with,” Kuminga said.
Atlanta could be looking ahead, too. There’s mutual interest in a longer-term deal, with the Hawks holding a $24.3 million option for 2026-27 as a potential starting point.
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