Jonathan Kuminga’s escalating frustration with his role in the Golden State Warriors has fueled trade chatter around the 23-year-old forward for quite some time. That culminated in Kuminga formally requesting a trade on Thursday, the very day he became eligible to be moved under the terms of the short-term contract he signed with Golden State this past offseason.
Because of the flexibility of Kuminga’s contract, his trade market continues to expand. Now, an insider has added two more names to that list.
Two West Teams Predicted To Be in the Mix for Trading Jonathan Kuminga
The Warriors were involved in lengthy contract negotiations with Kuminga throughout the summer, eventually signing him on a two-year, $46.8 million contract with a team option on the second season.
That $24.3 million team option is where the flexibility comes from, as “his contract can be used as an expiring deal (option declined), trade filler in the summer, or as a low-risk flier,” noted Shams Charania and Anthony Slater.
Amid a slew of teams vying for the 6-foot-7 wing, Michael Scotto of Hoopshype added the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers to the mix. “Elsewhere, the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers have also been linked with trade interest in Kuminga, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
“Conversely, previous interest from the Miami Heat has seemingly lessened. While the Wizards were also loosely linked to Kuminga, they’re unlikely to make a significant pursuit, HoopsHype has learned,” he further added.
Notably, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that the Mavericks had already scheduled a meeting with Kuminga. Despite averaging just 11.8 points this season, Kuminga has shown flashes of talent.
Let’s not forget this is a player who averaged 24.3 points on 55.4% shooting in the final four games of the Warriors’ second-round series loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves last May. One intriguing way for Dallas to acquire Kuminga can be to send Klay Thompson back to the Warriors.
The Mavericks get a future star while the Warriors are reunited with a franchise legend who has undeniable chemistry with the team and is familiar with Steve Kerr’s playstyle. However, given the Warriors’ struggles with their big man rotations, another possible deal with Dallas is getting a lot of attention.
The two sides can put together a trade package around Daniel Gafford. The Warriors’ struggles at the center are well known.
Quentin Post’s lack of experience and an injury-ridden Al Horford have compelled the squad to play Draymond Green extensively at that position. Acquiring Gafford, who was the starting center of the Mavericks team that made the 2024 NBA finals, would enable Green to return to his natural power forward position.
Although Gafford’s production has dropped lately (13.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks), the Warriors reportedly view him as a legitimate lob threat and defensive anchor.
To add to it, Gafford has a cap-friendly, three-year, $54M extension that starts next season. The Warriors would surely like that since they are reportedly looking for expiring contracts in Kuminga trade talks rather than a long-term commitment.
READ MORE: Jonathan Kuminga Trade Rumors: NBA Insider Reveals How Kings’ Offer for Warriors Forward Has Changed
Trail Blazers, meanwhile, have been a surprise revelation this season. They are 20-22 on the season and have won 7 of their last 10 games. Rising stars Deni Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe, and Donovan Clingan form an interesting core where Kuminga might be a nice fit.
Blazers, in return, can send veterans like Robert Williams III and Matisse Thybulle to the Warriors. Both are on expiring contracts.
The Blazers can further add draft picks to the deal. Williams and Thybulle are both good defenders, and the Warriors can decide whether to keep or move on from them after the season, depending on their fit in the rotation.
Interestingly, despite everything going on, the Warriors reportedly did not give any assurance that Kuminga would be traded by the February 5 deadline. They could very well push that decision till the summer. However, that might only further sour their already broken relationship with the player.
