Overview
- The deadline trade sent Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks for Kristaps Porziņģis.
- Joe Lacob said approving the move was "not hard," calling Kuminga’s five-year tenure an "experiment" that "just didn’t work" and noting ill-timed injuries.
- Lacob rejected claims he protected Kuminga from trade talks, saying the team only moved him once a worthwhile return emerged.
- He praised Porziņģis’ debut and 7-foot-3 size as an immediate frontcourt boost, with the veteran on an expiring contract.
- Reporting has long linked Lacob to pushing the 2021 Kuminga pick, while a fluctuating role under Steve Kerr and a Jan. 15 trade demand preceded the split.