S&T Kuminga to Pistons

Bentley1225 · Post #1 » by **Bentley1225** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:14 pm

Now that Cavs are out of the running for Kuminga, ill offer this idea:
-Pistons still have $20 million under 1st apron if they sign Duren to a 5 year, $200 million deal with a $15 million TPE
-Hawks don't want to go into 1st apron as they are $11.5 million under it

To Detroit
-Jonathan Kuminga (S&T 3 years, $45 million deal - 3rd year team option)

To Atlanta
-$15 million TPE (Full Isiah Stewart TPE)
-2031 Detroit and/or Dallas and/or GSW 2nd round picks (2 least favourable)

Kuminga gives them more depth at the 4 and flexibility to sign Duren and stay under 1st apron. They can waive Robinson.

Cunningham/Okorie/Jenkins
Huerter/Joe//Harris/Lanier
Thompson/Holland/Green
Collins/Kuminga/Prince
Duren?/Reed

-The Hawks get back 2 picks they they keep flexibility under 1st apron instead of going over it to re-sign Kuminga.

Snakebites · Post #2 » by **Snakebites** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:16 pm

We already have 2 athletic forwards who don't shoot the ball well.

Not sure what adding a third brings to the table here. I get that he's a little bigger and can play some minutes at the 4 but I don't see the overall fit.

gswhoops · Post #3 » by **gswhoops** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:17 pm

Just what the Pistons need, another superlative athlete with a questionable shot and handles.

babyjax13 · Post #4 » by **babyjax13** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:19 pm

Kuminga isn't getting paid this much, IMO

Bentley1225 · Post #5 » by **Bentley1225** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:21 pm

Snakebites wrote:We already have 2 athletic forwards who don't shoot the ball well.

Not sure what adding a third brings to the table here. I get that he's a little bigger and can play some minutes at the 4 but I don't see the overall fit.

I looked at the depth across the 4 and 5 spots and they have Duren, Collins, Prince and Reed. Can Holland play the 4?. I don't know the Pistons well enough. I just thought they could use more front court depth.

Snakebites · Post #6 » by **Snakebites** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:22 pm

Bentley1225 wrote:
Snakebites wrote:We already have 2 athletic forwards who don't shoot the ball well.

Not sure what adding a third brings to the table here. I get that he's a little bigger and can play some minutes at the 4 but I don't see the overall fit.

I looked at the depth across the 4 and 5 spots and they have Duren, Collins, Prince and Reed. Can Holland play the 4?. I don't know the Pistons well enough. I just thought they could use more front court depth.

We definitely can use another guy at the 4.

I just don't think Kuminga is a fit with our current roster construction, certainly not at this price point.

gswhoops · Post #7 » by **gswhoops** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:22 pm

Snakebites wrote:We already have 2 athletic forwards who don't shoot the ball well.

Not sure what adding a third brings to the table here. I get that he's a little bigger and can play some minutes at the 4 but I don't see the overall fit.

He'd be a great change of pace from Ausar and Holland on defense, because those two guys are both good defenders

Bentley1225 · Post #8 » by **Bentley1225** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:23 pm

babyjax13 wrote:Kuminga isn't getting paid this much, IMO

I wonder if the Hawks are going to offer him a 3 year deal at $30 million. They must be waiting to see what the scarce market offers. Pistons to me look like the only team that might pay him north of $10 million/per.

chrbal · Post #9 » by **chrbal** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:28 pm

At this point, it’s whatever team offers him a contract. NBA or otherwise

He doesn’t make sense for Detroit, he should probably just take whatever the Lakers offer him, if that’s even still an option

Scoot McGroot · Post #10 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 7:57 pm

Bentley1225 wrote:
babyjax13 wrote:Kuminga isn't getting paid this much, IMO

I wonder if the Hawks are going to offer him a 3 year deal at $30 million. They must be waiting to see what the scarce market offers. Pistons to me look like the only team that might pay him north of $10 million/per.

It'd put Atlanta deep into the luxury tax this year, so I really doubt it, unless they can dump a Buddy Hield sized salary elsewhere for nothing in return?

Otherwise, I don't know that it would take 2 2nds for Atlanta to help out like this. If they're taking nothing back, a single second is pretty generous? Heck, they may just work with another team and just take back some small cash, or a right to swap 2nds. Get a little goodwill with agents, etc.

babyjax13 · Post #11 » by **babyjax13** » Thu Aug 20, 2026 11:27 pm

Bentley1225 wrote:
babyjax13 wrote:Kuminga isn't getting paid this much, IMO

I wonder if the Hawks are going to offer him a 3 year deal at $30 million. They must be waiting to see what the scarce market offers. Pistons to me look like the only team that might pay him north of $10 million/per.

I could see something more like BAE level (5-6 million per year).

jbk1234 · Post #12 » by **jbk1234** » Fri Aug 21, 2026 12:39 am

If I'm Kuminga, I'm going to Europe before I play on the league minimum in the NBA. I thought they guy got overrated for a while, but I struggle with the idea that there isn't a decent chunk of exception money out there for him.

Post #13 » by **Chris Porter's Hair** » Fri Aug 21, 2026 1:34 am

babyjax13 wrote:
Bentley1225 wrote:
babyjax13 wrote:Kuminga isn't getting paid this much, IMO

I wonder if the Hawks are going to offer him a 3 year deal at $30 million. They must be waiting to see what the scarce market offers. Pistons to me look like the only team that might pay him north of $10 million/per.

I could see something more like BAE level (5-6 million per year).

By all indications, he's not going to sign for anything like this, unless he gets his bad advisors out of the picture and someone talks sense into him. When the original post suggested $15m per year, my thought was, "He's indicated he wouldn't play for that much, but maybe that is close enough to get him to come to his senses." When the numbers get to $10m or less, it would take a huge change in mindset for him to sign. Which of course he should do, but he's been making bad decisions for years now.

Crymson · Post #14 » by **Crymson** » Fri Aug 21, 2026 3:10 pm

Echoing the other Pistons fans here: the roster most certainly does not need more players who can't shoot. It doesn't have minutes to give Kuminga anyway.

Nate the Great · Post #15 » by **Nate the Great** » Sat Aug 22, 2026 1:06 am

Don’t be surprised if we get months of messages that this or that team is interested in signing Kuminga, without an actual signing. Two teams already took that gamble based on his “potential” but ditched him. Now he wants to be paid like a contributor, but still all he has to offer is “potential.”

Post #16 » by **zimpy27** » Sat Aug 22, 2026 1:17 am

He should go to Minnesota, he'd get to start.

Warspite · Post #17 » by **Warspite** » Sat Aug 22, 2026 4:04 am

Im a Piston fan who would like to have him and think he could have a role on the team or at least allow Langdon to make a deadline trade with the expiring's that the team has. Langdon cant trade multiple players for a star and not create a hole somewhere that would need to be filled and Kuminga could fill a frontcourt hole if players are traded for backcourt help.

My objection is paying him the full TPE. That IMHO is bidding against yourself. If its 9-11 mil then yes Im in. I want all the talent I can get because I believe depth has value and that injuries can be big as talent in determining win/loss record.

wolves_89 · Post #18 » by **wolves_89** » Sun Aug 23, 2026 5:27 pm

zimpy27 wrote:He should go to Minnesota, he'd get to start.

I agree. I think the Wolves are his best choice to build value for his next contract. Minnesota offers big minutes (with a starting spot), offensive/defensive systems that fit his skill set, and a coach who has a track record of getting guys who have struggled onto a successful career path.