New NBA Rumors Reveal Jonathan Kuminga's $24.3M Contract Option Decision Made by Hawks Ahead of Free Agency
Key keywords: Jonathan Kuminga, Atlanta Hawks, $24.3M contract option, 2024 NBA Free Agency, NBA trade rumors, Golden State Warriors, NBA offseason roster moves, restricted free agency, Eastern Conference playoff race. According to multiple confirmed league sources from top NBA insiders on Thursday, the Atlanta Hawks have officially exercised Jonathan Kuminga’s $24.3M 2024-25 rookie team option, finalizing the decision three full days before the 2024 NBA Free Agency period officially kicks off to end all speculation around the 21-year-old forward’s short-term future. The announcement comes just three weeks after the Hawks closed a blockbuster trade with the Golden State Warriors, sending All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Bay Area in exchange for Kuminga and a top-10 protected 2027 first-round draft pick. When the trade was first made public, many league analysts questioned whether Atlanta would keep Kuminga as part of their long-term plans, as the franchise has been open about its ongoing roster rebuild centered around star point guard Trae Young. However, Kuminga’s career-best performance in the 2023-24 season, where he averaged 16.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game with 49.1% field goal shooting and 35.4% three-point accuracy, convinced the Hawks front office that he is a core piece of their future competitive framework. A source close to the Hawks’ management shared that the team was particularly impressed with Kuminga’s defensive versatility, as he is capable of guarding positions 1 through 4, and his ability to finish at the rim and create his own shot off the dribble, skills that fill major gaps in Atlanta’s current roster. By exercising the $24.3M option, the Hawks will keep Kuminga under contract for the 2024-25 season, and he will become a restricted free agent in the 2025 offseason, giving Atlanta the right to match any offer sheet he signs from other teams. The decision also rules out the possibility of Kuminga hitting the open market this summer, which is a disappointment for multiple teams including the New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks and Orlando Magic, who were all reported to have expressed interest in signing the young forward if he became available. Hawks head coach Quin Snyder is expected to name Kuminga the full-time starting small forward next season, pairing him with Young, Jalen Johnson, Clint Capela and Bogdan Bogdanovic in a starting lineup that many analysts believe can finish in the top 6 of the Eastern Conference and make a deep playoff run. The Hawks are now expected to open extension talks with Kuminga’s representation in the coming months, with a potential 4-year, $128M long-term deal on the table before the start of the 2024-25 regular season.
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As a long-time Hawks fan, this is easily the best offseason move we’ve made in years! Kuminga’s athleticism and defensive versatility fit perfectly with Trae and Jalen Johnson, we can actually make some real noise in the East next season instead of just scraping into the play-in tournament.
Warriors management is definitely already regretting this trade. They gave up a 21-year-old rising star with sky-high upside for an aging guard who’s going to hit free agency next year and demand a max contract. This is going to go down as one of the worst trades in recent GSW history.
This move makes total financial and competitive sense for the Hawks. $24.3M is an absolute bargain for a player of Kuminga’s caliber, especially when you look at the inflated $30M+ annual contracts being handed out to role players in this year’s free agency. Locking him up long term should be their next top priority.
I’m so happy Kuminga finally gets a chance to be a full-time starter on a team that actually believes in him. He was stuck coming off the bench for the Warriors even when he was outperforming their veteran starters for stretches last season, now he can show the entire league what he’s really capable of.