There is now a chance that the Golden State Warriors could pull off a Jonathan Kuminga trade this summer.
The No. 7 overall pick of Golden State in the 2021 NBA Draft, Kuminga played extremely well during the regular season as a sophomore. Despite this, the 20-year-old forward fell out of head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation in the NBA Playoffs. It has led to speculation that Kuminga could request a trade this offseason.
If that does indeed happen, there is going to be a ton of interest in a young man with untapped potential and otherworldly talent. He’s someone who is seen as a potential franchise cornerstone moving forward, meaning that both contending and rebuilding teams will have interest.
A recent report also suggests that there’s going to be a strong market for his services. With all of that as a backdrop, let’s look at four ideal Jonathan Kuminga trade scenarios from the Golden State Warriors this summer.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated NBA trade rumors
Charlotte Hornets add another young player
- Hornets get: Jonathan Kuminga
- Warriors get: Mark Williams, James Bouknight, 27th pick
Boasting the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Charlotte could very well opt for two-guard Scoot Henderson with that selection. The idea would be to team him up with LaMelo Ball to form a stellar backcourt.
Even then, there’s a need in the frontcourt for Charlotte. The future of Miles Bridges is clearly up in the air after a troubling off-court incident. Fellow forward P.J. Washington is set to become a restricted free agent. Adding Kuminga’s talent to go with Ball and Henderson would create a core three for the Hornets.
- Jonathan Kuminga stats 2022-23 (Final 19 games): 13.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 60% shooting, 49% 3-point
From Golden State’s perspective, it finally brings in a big. That was a major issue for the team this past season with Kevon Looney being Golden State’s tallest player at 6-foot-9. The time has come to address this. A first-round pick out of Duke last June, Williams averaged 9.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in just 19.3 minutes of action as a rookie. Golden State also adds a second first-round pick in the upcoming draft in this deal to give it more flexibility.
Jonathan Kuminga heads to the Indiana Pacers
- Pacers get: Jonathan Kuminga, 19th pick
- Warriors get: Chris Duarte, 7th pick, 29th pick
Golden State was interested in Duarte leading up to the 2021 NBA Draft before he went to Indiana 13th overall. With the very next pick, the Warriors nabbed Moses Moody. That seems to have worked out for them.
However, there is going to be a need in the backcourt should Golden State move off embattled young guard Jordan Poole. Before falling out of favor as a sophomore, Duarte looked darn good in Indiana. That included the Oregon product averaging 13.1 points and 4.1 rebounds on 37% shooting from distance as a rookie. Duarte could come in and play both the two and the three.
In this scenario, Golden State also adds a lottery pick it can either flip with Poole for another player or use on a youngster. Houston forward Jarace Walker or Duke big man Dereck Lively II could be targets at seven.
Indiana’s inclusion here just makes too much sense. The team loves what it has in the young combination of Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin. The idea would be to team Kuminga up with Mathurin in the frontcourt. It’s just a perfect fit.
Related: Top 100 NBA free agents of 2023
San Antonio Spurs find running partner for Victor Wembanyama
- Spurs get: Jonathan Kuminga, Ryan Rollins
- Warriors get: Zach Collins, 33rd pick, future 1st-round pick
We already know that the Spurs are going to select 7-foot-5 French big man Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. He’s seen as a generational talent and someone to build around moving forward.
Even then, San Antonio needs much more help after a 60-loss season. The idea of teaming Wemby up with Jonathan Kuminga would create one of the most athletic frontcourts in the Association with both boasting untapped upside.
While this might seem like a smallish return for Golden State, the 6-foot-11 Collins has proven to be a nice rotational big. He averaged 11.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season. Picking up a lightly protected future first-round pick would also change the dynamics moving forward, potentially enabling the Warriors to add another core player in a separate trade.
Blockbuster trade with the Toronto Raptors
- Raptors get: Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, 1st-round pick
- Warriors get: Pascal Siakam
There’s a chance that Golden State looks to attach Kuminga to a broader blockbuster that would bring in another All-Star talent. We’ve read several reports of the Warriors’ interest in Pascal Siakam in the past.
It just makes too much sense from an on-court fit. Siakam could play the four with Draymond Green at the five and Andrew Wiggins manning the wing in Golden State. He’s an elite low-post defender and averaged a career high 24.2 points to go with 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists a season ago.
Now, why would Toronto make this trade? It’s pretty simple. The team is in transition mode and is going to move off some of its core parts after firing Nick Nurse. It’s also being noted that Siakam’s trade value is not as high as the Raptors might hope. In this deal, they acquire two high-upside youngsters to build around moving forward. A future first-round pick doesn’t hurt, either.