One of the bigger moves before the NBA trade deadline was the deal between the Golden State Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks. In this trade, the Warriors sent out Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks in exchange for Kristaps Porzingis.
Given that both departing players have been a part of Golden State’s system for quite some time, in Kuminga’s instance for five seasons after he was drafted by the Warriors, they have become brothers with their teammates. This bond can be reflected in Draymond Green’s comments on a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, heaping praise on both players.
When it comes to Kuminga, Green appreciated his former teammate’s handling of the trade talks and believes he can do great things in Atlanta, highlighting the potential danger the league could face given his partnership with the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson.
“I appreciate the maturity that he showed and handling the situation the entire time, even when the writing was on the wall, and everyone in the entire world knew a trade was gonna happen, I wish him well on the journey to Atlanta…” Green explained. “He can go become a cornerstone of that franchise with Jalen Johnson, those two guys running downhill at you in transition, good luck.”
If there is anyone who knows Kuminga’s potential, it would be Green, given that they’ve appeared in 235 games together and evening winning the 2022 NBA championship.
While Kuminga was on Golden State’s roster for quite some time, the same can’t be said for Hield, who joined the team in the 2024-25 season. This doesn’t mean the Bahamian didn’t make his mark at the Chase Center over the last season and a half, as he averaged 10 points per game across 126 games. But it wasn’t just his numbers that Green will miss; the former sharpshooter also highlighted his mindset on the court.
“Buddy Hield was one of my favorite teammates of all time, to see him go, you feel the gap, you feel the hole,” Green stated. “You’re talking about a guy that no matter what the playing time was, no matter if he hit seven 3s in a game or missed and went 0 for 7, attitude’s the same… I’m forever grateful to be his teammate, the brotherhood don’t stop.”
Kuminga and Hield have yet to make their debuts for Atlanta, with the Congolese forward still out due to a bone bruise suffered in late January.
For all the latest NBA news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.
