Jonathan Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, has defended his client’s time with the Atlanta Hawks. He also pushed back against questions about Kuminga’s impact.

Speaking on Yahoo Sports NBA's The Kevin O’Connor Show via YouTube, Turner focused on Kuminga’s impact on winning rather than just his numbers. Turner first said that Kuminga’s value cannot be judged only by his box-score numbers.

“JK got shipped to Atlanta, okay, and there's a lot of talk about Jonathan Kuminga and his winning impact and the players,” Turner said. “He was their best player from the moment he showed up in terms of winning impact.”

He argued that Kuminga made a big difference for Atlanta after joining the team. In the same conversation with Kevin O’Connor, via YouTube, Turner then focused on how the Hawks performed when Kuminga was on the court.

He used Atlanta’s regular-season and playoff numbers to support his point. Golden State sent Kuminga to Atlanta at the 2025-26 trade deadline.

Turner believes the move gave Kuminga a better chance to show what he can do. He also mentioned Kuminga’s on-off numbers and the Hawks’ two playoff wins over the New York Knicks.

“He had the best on-off net rating in the regular season and in the playoffs," Turner said.

Turner then stressed that he was using numbers to support his argument.

“These are facts,” Turner said. “These aren't opinions.”

Turner’s comments also raise an important question about Kuminga’s future in Atlanta. Staying with the Hawks could have given him a bigger role and more chances to develop his game.

Why Jonathan Kuminga’s Atlanta exit mattered

According to Basket News, Kuminga made a strong start in Atlanta. He scored 27 points in his first game for the Hawks.

However, injuries limited him to only 16 regular-season games. He averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds during that time.

During the same Yahoo Sports appearance, Turner said the issue was not only about money. He argued that even a $24 million expiring contract would not mean much if Kuminga could not play at his best and show his value on the court.

“You may get traded out to some place you don't know,” Turner said. “So the reality is Jonathan Kuminga being in this situation is actually, to me, more productive than being in the $24 million expiring.”

Atlanta won 46 games and took the No. 6 seed. Jalen Johnson also became an All-Star after averaging 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists, according to Basket News.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker also won the Most Improved Player award. He averaged 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.

The Hawks later declined Kuminga’s $24.3 million team option. Kuminga then signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with Minnesota.

Turner’s main point is that Kuminga’s time in Atlanta should not be judged only by how long he stayed. The opportunity he got there also matters. Now, his time with Minnesota will show whether Turner’s belief was right.

Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Kapil Manghnani brings over 4.5 years of experience in sports journalism, covering a wide range of sports, including Soccer, NHL, Tennis, Gymnastics, NASCAR, Swimming, and more. He has written for leading sports platforms, producing everything from breaking news and features to in-depth analysis, opinion pieces, long-form stories, and short-form content. Beyond articles, he has also scripted long-form storytelling videos for YouTube channels. His work focuses on delivering well-researched, engaging, and reader-first sports content across multiple formats.

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