The Golden State Warriors have had a quiet offseason.
After losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games during the Western Conference Semifinals, they've been unable to make any additions to the roster thanks to Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency.
While the Warriors have tried to work out a solution with their former seventh overall pick, the rest of the NBA has made their moves and transactions to gear up for the upcoming season. It seems Golden State will have no choice but to either wait out Kuminga's restricted free agency or get a jump start on his trade value.
Jonathan Kuminga Named Trade Candidate for Warriors
Nathaniel Holloway of Athlon Sports recently named three trade candidates for Golden State ahead of the upcoming season, and Kuminga tops the list as the Warriors' most valuable trade asset.
"For Kuminga, it appears as though is time in Golden State is nearing an end as he has turned down the Warriors’ contract offer this offseason after falling out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season." Wrote Holloway.
"While Kuminga will likely be back in Golden State this season, the Warriors are expected to try and move him ahead of the trade deadline and they should see many teams show interest in the young forward that could also help them upgrade their roster by acquiring key players in a package."
The Warriors have been trying to walk a fine line of youth and experience ever since their most recent championship in 2022, keeping veterans like Steph Curry and Draymond Green while also looking to develop young players such as Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and Moses Moody.
With this current iteration of the roster, which also features 35-year-old Jimmy Butler, they will need to sell some of their youth to give their elder statesmen one last chance at a championship.
Kuminga is the perfect piece to trade now, as the 22-year-old has some tantalizing upside and could be a high-usage scoring option for a team not looking to contend right now.
If Golden State wants to compete for a title in 2025-26, their best bet would be to acquire championship-caliber role players through trading Kuminga.