The Minnesota Timberwolves have officially announced the addition of Jonathan Kuminga following comments from Tim Connelly, but before arriving in Minnesota, Kuminga was the subject of an intriguing pursuit by the Chicago Bulls—a destination the former Golden State Warriors forward’s agent had in mind.
Toward the end of NBA free agency, rumors emerged that the Chicago Bulls were interested in two restricted free-agent forwards: Kuminga and Bennedict Mathurin. While the Bulls failed to acquire either player, Kuminga was the target they truly desired out of the pair, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic.
While the Bulls‘ interest in signing Kuminga in free agency was real, the organization was reportedly unwilling to promise him that he would start and close out games, per Lorenzi. Kuminga ultimately signed with the Timberwolves.
How Kuminga joined the Timberwolves
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga spent the first four and a half seasons of his career with the Warriors before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks at last season’s trade deadline. He was a key contributor during the Hawks’ first-round playoff series loss to the New York Knicks and chose to depart after just half a season.
Jonathan Kuminga celebrates.
Kuminga played in 36 total games, including 14 starts, between the Warriors and Hawks last season. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 46.3% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range, and 72.4% from the free-throw line.
Kuminga’s reason for joining the Timberwolves
After a long-running debate in the Bay Area regarding his fit alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green under head coach Steve Kerr, followed by his stint with the Hawks and prolonged offseason uncertainty, Kuminga found it refreshing to join a destination where he knows he is a major part of the plan heading into this season with the Timberwolves.
“Them wanting me to be here, it felt real,” Kuminga said of the Wolves. “They were very genuine people, and these are people you could sit down with and have a conversation. A lot of people, you can’t sit down with and have an actual conversation with about certain things, and I think that’s when I felt the vibe — including Ant. Me and him sat on the phone and spoke about certain things, and that just made me feel very comfortable. I think making a decision was very easy after talking to Alonzo and Tim and the rest of the guys.”
