Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) dribbles against New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) during the second half at State Farm Arena
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
With NBA training camp just a little under two months away, one of the top unsigned players in free agency is Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga. The former lottery pick has been linked to a couple of teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, but he remains on the market. And if Lu Dort’s new jersey number with the Hawks is any indication, a return to the team might not be in the books.
The new Hawks guard will wear No. 0 this upcoming season, as per Etienne Catalan, a change from the No. 5 he wore with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dyson Daniels already wears No. 5, forcing Dort to change his number. The only issue now is that Kuminga wore No. 0 last season following the Hawks’ trade deadline deal.
Now obviously this isn’t a 100 percent confirmation that Kuminga is not returning to the Hawks. He’s switched jersey numbers before, going from No. 00 in his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, to No. 1 the year he was traded.
But the Hawks also have 17 standard contracts on their current roster. They are going to have to cut down to 15 by the start of the regular season, which is probably a better indicator of Kuminga’s status with the team.
While prevailing thought was that Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency saga would wrap up after LeBron James chose his location, it’s been a little over two weeks now that James’ decision wrapped up.
Kuminga appeared in 16 games, including one start, in a little over 22 minutes per game after being acquired by the Hawks at the deadline. He averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists with splits of 47.6 percent shooting from the field, 34.6 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 70.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.