The Golden State Warriors have added another NBA champion to their collection in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks.
The Super Bowl isn’t the only big thing coming to the Bay Area this week.
Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images
Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the Golden State Warriors are set to acquire 7’3 veteran Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for fellow veterans Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga.
This ends Golden State’s rollercoaster Kuminga era, a trip that began in 2021 when he was taken as the seventh overall pick of the draft out of G League Ignite. Kuminga was a depth star during the Warriors’ last championship run in 2021-22 and later took on a larger role when Draymond Green endured injuries during his third campaign. A knee injury detailed some of his momentum last season, but the Warriors nonetheless granted him a two-year deal with a $24.3 million club option for 2026-27.
Kuminga was stationed in the starting five in the early stages of this season, but quickly fell out of favor with head coach Steve Kerr. Prior reports from Charania indicated that Kuminga requested a trade from Golden State in mid-January, though he briefly leaped back into the Golden State rotation after Jimmy Butler endured a season-ending ailment. Kuminga, however, has missed the last six games with a bone bruise in his left knee, essentially ending his stay in the Bay, which has also had to work without franchise face Stephen Curry.
Joining Kuminga (12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds in 20 appearances this season) in Atlanta will be Hield, who came to Golden State in a July 2024 trade with Indiana. Well-regarded for his outside shooting (39.5 percent in a 10-year career), Hield could essentially replace fellow sniper Vit Krejci, who was dealt to Portland earlier this week. Hield will join the similarly-skilled Corey Kispert, who came over from Washington in the prior Trae Young deal at the top of this year.
The Young trade kicked off a flurry of winter activity for the Hawks, who previously acquired center Jock Landale from the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
On the other side, adding Porzingis is latest deal on Golden State’s historic ledgers as it seeks yet another extensions of its contending window. Charnia’s report hints that trading for Porzingis “unofficially ends” the pursuit of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, as the team “came away with the impression over the past 24 hours that the Milwaukee Bucks won’t be moving” the two-time MVP.
While Porzingis continues to deal with health issues that have kept him out for a month, he recently proved to be a valuable piece on a championship contending team, namely the 2023-24 Boston Celtics. Porzingis was in the midst of his first season with the Hawks, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Boston.
While continuing to deal with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) that interrupted his latter Beantown tour, Porzingis put up strong numbers in his fleeting Atlanta appearances, averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds. He has not taken the floor since Jan. 7, but Charania’s report states the Warriors are confident he will be able to contribute in the stretch run. Golden State (27-24) enters Thursday in the eighth spot on the Western Conference ledger, four games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth and final automatic playoff bid.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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