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The Golden State Warriors are reportedly now willing to include the disgruntled Jonathan Kuminga in trade talks. The forward has expressed dissatisfaction in how he has been utilized by Steve Kerr this season. Though, prying him away from the Warriors will not likely be easy for interested teams.
The Dubs will pull the trigger on a deal that will ultimately help them contend for a championship. They previously wanted to keep Jordan Poole for the duration of his four-year contract but ended up moving him to Washington for Chris Paul.
The Golden State Warriors have stumbled to an 18-22 record, two games behind the LA Lakers (21-22) for the 10th spot. If the Warriors want to improve the roster, Jonathan Kuminga may have to be traded. Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. could agree to a deal for the right price.
Teams the Warriors could trade Jonathan Kuminga to:
#5 Portland Trail Blazers
The Golden State Warriors’ defensive rating is 24th in the NBA this season. Draymond Green bemoaned their inability to consistently stop opponents. Trading for the Portland Trail Blazers’ Matisse Thybulle could help them in that regard. The Warriors might have to include a second-round pick and Jonathan Kuminga to get the defensive stalwart.
Kuminga will likely immediately start for coach Chauncey Billups. It could be a win-win situation for both teams.
#4 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz rebuild has gone way better than expected with the way Lauri Markkanen has been playing. The development of Walker Kessler has also considerably helped them in that regard. Perhaps trading for Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II could help them even more. Kelly Olynyk might be someone the Golden State Warriors will be interested in.
The Jazz get their forward of the future and also bolster their backcourt. Payton can also be moved for added draft capital in a separate deal.
The Warriors, meanwhile, get one of the NBA’s most versatile and underrated big men. A frontline of Draymond Green and Olynyk will open more opportunities for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
#3 Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly making everyone except Trae Young and Jalen Johnson available in trade talks. The Golden State Warriors could try to trade Jonathan Kuminga, Chris Paul and a first-round pick for De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The Dubs were reportedly considering Pascal Siakam before the former Raptors forward was sent to the Indiana Pacers. Atlanta’s Hunter is younger and is on a more team-friendly contract. Bogdanovic would shine as a starter or coming off the bench in Steve Kerr’s system. Steph Curry’s championship window gets a boost with this trade.
The Hawks could use Chris Paul as they are reportedly shopping Dejounte Murray around. “CP3” can handle playmaking duties alongside Trae Young. Paul is on a non-guaranteed contract next season so they can let him go if things don’t work out. Jonathan Kuminga, who still has two years on a rookie contract, will take over Hunter’s role.
More importantly, the Hawks get a first-round pick out of the deal.
#2 Detroit Pistons
Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins to the Detroit Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic and a first-round pick could get this deal done. Golden State gets another shooter that will make defenses pay for double-teaming Steph Curry. The Dubs also add a coveted first-rounder to their draft capital.
The Pistons, meanwhile, are reportedly looking for some veteran help. Bogdanovic’s shooting has been great for them but he’s not on the young core’s timeline. Wiggins adds big-game experience to the roster and could also be a valuable trade asset in the future.
Kuminga might have a bigger chance of showing his worth with the Pistons than with his current team.
#1 San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs could be another team that might be interested in acquiring Jonathan Kuminga. To get a deal done, the Golden State Warriors might also need to move Draymond Green. San Antonio is likely to give Keldon Johnson and one of Zach Collins and Cedi Osman plus a first-round pick.
The Spurs get a mentor for Victor Wembanyama with Kuminga set to get his minutes off the bench that used to belong to Johnson. Green has the utmost respect for Gregg Popovich and has repeatedly said he loved his time with the coach during the Olympics in Japan.
Johnson provides scoring, energy and hustle on both ends of the floor. He is a bit undersized if asked to play power forward but he will compete. If they take Zach Collins, the big man will provide interior defense, rebounding and underrated passing. If it’s Osman they want, the small forward will be an added perimeter threat with a high basketball IQ for Golden State.
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