With postseason basketball back, the Hawks and their fans are focused on now. They want to send the Knicks home by any means necessary. That said, there's a lingering question that could impact just how they plan their nightly attack. What does Jonathan Kuminga's future in Atlanta look like?
He has a unique contract situation, no doubt. It's part of why they went out and acquired him in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis. They have options now. Porzingis likely would've just walked, as he was on an expiring contract. Atlanta could decide to let Kuminga walk, but they could also pick up his team option or sign him to a long-term deal.
It all could depend on how Kuminga performs over this upcoming stretch
A first-round matchup against Cleveland would've favored him more. In those final two regular season games against that group, he was able to manipulate their defense in a variety of ways. He was treating it like a postseason preview, as did much of the national media. This Knicks series was unexpected, but it's gearing up to be an electric one.
New York has more skilled wing defenders than Cleveland. It's no secret. Kuminga, while still a gifted attacker, won't have a very simple time to getting to his favorite mid-range spots like he did a few games back. Instead, it'll be up to him to unlock some more offensive creativity in a pivotal series.
He only suited up once against the Knicks this season, and it was an underwhelming performance. In 22 minutes, he recorded just five points on 2/6 from the field and 0/4 from beyond the arc. That three-ball, for the most part, hasn't been a problem for much of the year.
He's knocked it down at a more consistent clip than he did in Golden State. It's a small sample size, sure, but Quin Snyder's respected offensive system has produced many more open looks than he ever received in his previous regime. Maybe it's a matter of fit.
If he can make a postseason statement, Atlanta will have more incentive to re-sign him
There are plenty of decisions General Manager Onsi Saleh will need to make in the summer, and while they're not at the forefront of discussion now, they could quickly find themselves in the mix depending on the result of these playoffs.
If Jonathan Kuminga ends up being the difference between a first-round exit and a deep postseason run, they'd be silly to not at least explore locking him in to a long-term contract. Plus, he loves it here. If he's bought in, just like the group, it would make all the sense in the world to bring him back.
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