It’s no secret that Golden State Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga is looking to get out of The Bay.
What Makes A Jonathan Kuminga Trade So Complicated?
Though it was all good just a year ago, Kuminga’s tumultuous 2024-25 campaign has soured his relationship with the club and ultimately impacted his future. In fact, the 2022 NBA champion “wouldn’t mind being right now an extended member of the Phoenix Suns,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater tells Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.
It’s not just Phoenix that has Kuminga daydreaming about sunshine and rainbows though. Playing for them would presumably lead to him having more (or, at least, more consistent) opportunities than he did in Golden State. However, the same can be said of the Sacramento Kings. Indeed, per Slater, “Kuminga (has) had contact with the Kings in the last couple of days” (h/t NBC Sports California’s Tristi Rodriguez).
“It was the first time he met Scott Perry… it’s the first time he’s communicated with Scott Perry, Doug Christie and B.J. Armstrong,” Slater reports. “And from what I’ve gathered, he liked the pitch that Scott Perry gave. He’s open-minded to the idea of Sacramento.
A Game Of Chicken
Many are of the opinion that the Kings will trade DeMar DeRozan shortly after trading for Kuminga. To that point, the pairing of Kuminga and DeRozan is awkward, as both combo forwards have similar weaknesses. Yet, their strengths are different enough for there to be a legitimate reason for Sacramento to make the switch.
Replacing DeRozan with Kuminga could impact their overall efficiency and effectiveness in the clutch, areas that the 35-year-old excels at. However, Kuminga is not only 13 years younger than DeRozan, he’s more explosive and has a higher defensive upside. Though he’s not as savvy as DeRozan, particularly as a playmaker, he’s arguably a more dynamic scorer.
With that being said, perhaps the pathway to a Kuminga-Kings trade requires DeRozan to be moved first. After all, the Warriors have turned their noses up at Sacramento’s reported offer of Devin Carter, Dario Saric and a second-round pick. Whatever the Kings get in a DeRozan deal could help their package for Kuminga be more enticing.
Yet, there’s no guarantee that Golden State will accept a trade offer for Kuminga even then. As a result, they’re stuck playing chicken with a Warriors franchise that knows that Kuminga wants to leave. An organization that knows he can leave as an unrestricted free agent in 2026, leaving them with nothing.
The Warriors Choice
Frankly, there’s no simple solution in this scenario. Even if the Warriors don’t plan to keep Kuminga long-term, they could wait to trade him until closer to the deadline, as he can still increase his value. There’s also the chance that the two sides smooth over their differences by then.
However, Golden State could simply be better off trading him. Not only would they get potentially valuable players or picks in return, they have a better chance of avoiding the dark cloud that was over them last season. With that in mind, Stephen Curry’s twilight years shouldn’t be overshadowed by Kuminga’s drama.
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