It's not often that a 23-year-old former lottery pick becomes an unrestricted free agent, but Jonathan Kuminga's path in the NBA has been far from traditional. Drafted by a Golden State Warriors team trying to keep a dynasty alive in 2021, the expectations for Kuminga were lofty and, at times, unfair for a teenager adapting to life in the NBA.
After years of being dangled in trade rumors and, seemingly, feuding with Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Golden State finally dealt Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks at the 2026 trade deadline, where he finished the season strong by coming off the bench for a team with the fourth-best record in the NBA from that point on. He showed maturity in the move, accepting a bench role for a team finding its identity while contributing whatever was needed from him on any given play.
This makes him an intriguing possibility for the Milwaukee Bucks — a franchise on the dawn of a new era, rebuilding for the future without maintaining control of its own future draft capital. Signing a promising young player like Jonathan Kuminga is the perfect move to evaluate his progression and what kind of role he could sustain at the NBA level.
Jonathan Kuminga is the perfect low-risk, high-reward free-agent option for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Through nearly 300 games, Kuminga sufficiently showcased everything that made him one of the top prospects in his draft class. The athleticism is as advertised, with gravity-defying bounce and considerable speed for a player of his stature. His handle has vastly improved since entering the league, giving him the requisite tools to break down a defender and get to the rim or create space for a shot.
Speaking of — the jump shot has been inconsistent at times, but the 23-year-old knocks down enough 3s to be dangerous. He made a third of his 3-point attempts last season and roughly the same for his career, but inched closer to 35% in his run with the Hawks and shot 37% from deep in the 2022-23 season.
Defensively, Kuminga has all the tools he needs to be a versatile defender for the modern era. His 6-foot-11 wingspan never goes to waste, as Kuminga jumps into passing lanes and prods at the basketball to force turnovers in a way that perfectly aligns with the rest of this Bucks roster. He's primarily a power forward at this point, but has experience as a small forward and a small-ball five from his days with the Warriors.
With Giannis and Bobby Portis now in Miami, the Milwaukee Bucks have some things to figure out at the power forward spot. If we assume the small forward minutes will be split between Jaime Jaquez, Nate Ament and Ousmane Dieng, that leaves flexibility at the power forward for Kuminga to compete for a role in Milwaukee's rotation.
It's not clear what the market will look like for Kuminga, but the Milwaukee Bucks have left themselves enough flexibility to go out and spend some money on a worthwhile swing. Given how the market has taken shape, there won't be many opportunities better than this one.
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