Jonathan Kuminga flashes tantalizing upside that never materialized with Golden State in sizzling Hawks debut

So far, so good for Jonathan Kuminga in Atlanta. 

The formerly disgruntled Golden State Warriors forward made his Atlanta Hawks debut Tuesday night following a trade-deadline deal that moved him from Golden State. It was pretty much all the Hawks could have hoped for from his first game in Atlanta.

Kuminga came off the bench. But he developed into the No. 1 Hawks option in a game in which All-Star Jalen Johnson left the first quarter with a hip injury. 

Kuminga finished with a game-high 27 points to lead the Hawks in a 119-98 blowout over the Washington Wizards. He added 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. He did it from inside and out and in transition while shooting 9 of 12 from the field and 3 of 4 from 3. He did it all in 24 minutes. 

Kuminga introduces himself to Atlanta

Kuminga made his debut with 6:22 remaining in the first quarter as one of the first three Hawks players off the bench alongside Zaccharie Risacher and Gabe Vincent. 

He almost immediately flashed the athleticism that made him so tantalizing in Golden State but never materialized into anything of substance on the basketball court. His first bucket as a Hawk was a cutting layup through traffic in transition.

Not long after that, he took an outlet pass from Risacher for an uncontested dunk. 

He capped his first-quarter scoring with a 3-pointer to finish with seven first-quarter points. And the Hawks extended a 12-9 run when their subs entered the game to 35-20 by the end of the first quarter. 

Johnson injury opens door for Kuminga to take over

Johnson sustained his injury in the first quarter and didn't return. He watched from the sideline in warmups after the Hawks eventually ruled him out with a left hip flexor injury. The severity of the injury wasn't initially clear. 

But Johnson's absence opened up more opportunity for Kuminga, who continued to work inside and out as the Hawks opened up the score against a woeful Wizards team playing without several of its top players.

Kuminga re-entered the game midway through the third quarter still sitting on seven points and opened his second-half scoring with another 3.

From there, he took over the lead role for the Hawks in a debut that will surely generate some smiles in Atlanta. He left the game with 6:16 remaining and the Hawks holding a 111-80 lead.

Trae Young's return

While Kuminga introduced himself to Hawks fans, Trae Young made his first trip to Atlanta as a visiting player. He did so in street clothes as one of several injured Wizards players.

The Hawks traded Young to the Wizards before the trade deadline in a deal that signaled the end of an era. Young had played his entire seven-plus-season NBA career with the Hawks, making four All-Star teams as the face of the franchise. 

But with the emergence of Johnson as the leader of the team, the Hawks parted with Young, ending a tenure that produced three playoff appearances but none since 2023.

The Hawks greeted Young with a tribute video in the second quarter. Fans responded with a standing ovation.

Young has yet to make his Wizards debut. He remains out with an MCL sprain and quad contusion that's sidelined him since late December. 

The Wizards are also waiting on the debut of Anthony Davis, whom they acquired from the Dallas Mavericks before the trade deadline. He's been sidelined with a significant finger sprain. Standout second-year forward Alex Sarr missed a fifth straight game with a strained hamstring.

Tuesday's loss dropped the Wizards to 16-41, the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference.