The Atlanta Hawks apparently don’t want Jonathan Kuminga back. From declining his team option to the recent trade rumors, it seems like Kuminga could be moving on to a new team soon. And that team may be the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Hawks can land a first (even a swap) in a sign-and-trade, it would make the entire Kristaps Porzingis endeavor worthwhile.
Khobi Price of the New York Post recently posted an article stating that Atlanta would be interested in a Kuminga-Jarred Vanderbilt sign-and-trade that would also send a 2032 pick swap to Atlanta: “A source told the Post the Hawks are willing to execute a sign-and-trade with the Lakers around the framework of Kuminga going to L.A. and the Hawks receiving Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers’ 2032 first-round pick swap – the lone option the Lakers have of trading a first-round pick this summer.”
If the Hawks pulled that off, they would come away from the Porzingis era like bandits.
Hawks turning Jonathan Kuminga into a first-round swap would be good value for Kristaps Porzingis pipeline
Last summer, the Hawks shipped out Georges Niang and a second-round pick in a three-team deal that ended with Porzingis heading to Atlanta. Unfortunately, the Porzingis era with the Hawks was short-lived.
By the trade deadline, the Hawks felt like it was time to move on. They traded Porzingis to the Golden State Warriors, and in return, they got back Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
Fast forward to now, and it seems like the Hawks are done with Kuminga. They might not end up bringing him back next season. But they could still get a first-round pick swap out of him.
Vanderbilt is a fine player, but from the Hawks’ perspective, a sign-and-trade with the Lakers would be all about trying to snag a pick swap. Because who knows how the Lakers could be doing five years from now.
Think about it. Think about the value Porzingis has gone for in each of the last two trades he’s been dealt in. Think about the value that Kuminga ultimately got moved for after years of trade rumors in Golden State.
Just imagine if the Hawks were able to pull off a deal to land a Lakers pick swap that far out into the future. That would be an absolute win for them.
If the Hawks manage to turn Niang and a second into a future Lakers pick swap, they should walk away feeling pretty good about themselves, because that’s good value.
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