Hawks' weird Porzingis trade could be a gift or a curse for the Spurs

How much do you believe in Jonathan Kuminga? The answer to that question will impact how you view Atlanta's trade, sending Kristaps Porzingis to the Golden State Warriors for JK. This is a desperate move from the Bay Area squad after striking out on Giannis Antetokounmpo. There's no need to worry about that side of it. KP can't even get and stay on the floor.

The Hawks have the interesting side of this because of San Antonio's ownership of their first-round picks over the next two summers. Right now, they're pretty much the definition of average. They're in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-27 record and are 5-5 in their last 10 games.

They hope adding Kuminga and Buddy Hield will give them a boost into the playoff picture. Honestly, I'm not sure he will, but I'm also not positive that he won't. I'll tell you why.

Vibes are important to player production

You can call it "vibes," "locker room chemistry," or whatever word you want to use to describe the importance of relationships in professional sports. You don't even have to like your teammates all the time, but there needs to be mutual respect for the game. That's just peer-to-peer, though. The rules are different from organization to player.

When there's distrust between an athlete and the franchise, it's usually a much more volatile situation. Look at the relationship between the Grizzlies and Ja Morant or how James Harden was acting once Daryl Morey lost his trust. Things can get very dramatic quickly, and that throws off everything.

We haven't seen what would happen if Memphis were to move on from Morant, because apparently, nobody wants him. But letting Harden go was the best thing for him and the 76ers. Philly has turned the page and has a bright future, and the Beard is living his life as only the Beard can. He gets everything he wants, so I can only assume he's happy.

How will finally getting away from Golden State impact Kuminga? Part of the reason he wanted to leave Steph Castle's shadow was because of the pecking order and play style, according to several reports. He wants to be a focal point in the offense, believing himself to be a dormant star being held back.

It wouldn't be the first time someone bet on themselves and made out like a bandit. Now, this could just end up being a lateral move. However, if he and Jalen Johnson mesh well, could the Hawks go on a run and race up the standings? Maybe, but let's hope not. He was reportedly blindsided by the trade to ATL, so let's hope this goes the other way.

The preferable outcome is that he's unhappy, and he brings Atlanta down further. He can even be happy, but bring them down further because of a lack of fit or not being as good as he thought he was. I'm really fine with any of these latter scenarios as long as the Spurs get a lottery pick.