Jonathan Kuminga is headed to free agency after the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million club option ahead of the new market. The move strips away his restricted status and lets the 23-year-old forward shop his next deal without that layer of control.
Atlanta Hawks Flex Payroll Space
The Hawks had a payroll of $153.1 million before salary cap holds, and removing Kuminga from the books for 2026-27 gives the team more room to maneuver. The decision arrives before free agency and changes his contract path immediately.
That shift matters because Kuminga will hit the open market for the second successive summer, this time without being handcuffed by restricted free agency. For Atlanta, the move is a clean break with a player whose role and price no longer lined up with the club’s roster math.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Atlanta Run
His best stretch in Atlanta came on Feb. 24, when he scored 27 points with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 119-98 win over the Washington Wizards. Less than a week later, he had another 20-point outing, giving the Hawks a short but useful burst after the midseason trade.
Over 16 games with Atlanta, Kuminga averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from beyond the arc. Those numbers show the split in his case: enough production to help, but not enough to make the club option a simple keep.
Golden State Warrriors History
Across five seasons in Golden State, he averaged 12.5 points, shot 50.3 percent overall and 33.1 percent on threes. The playoff series against the New York Knicks also left a rougher mark, with Kuminga going 5-of-24 from beyond the arc and finishing with six turnovers and six assists.
He did help Atlanta in Games 2 and 3, when his 40 combined points fueled wins. Now the relevant question is not what he already gave the Hawks, but what kind of contract another team is willing to put on the table once the market opens.
