Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors have no choice but to part ways before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
It’s quite simple, really; Kuminga will never develop into a well-rounded wing with the Warriors, and the Dubs won’t win another championship with the former lottery pick as their No. 4 scoring option.
According to the Athletic’s Sam Amick, there’s a chance the Warriors and Dallas Mavericks could partner to complete a blockbuster trade centered around Kuminga.
“While a league source said the Mavericks do have interest in the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga, who can’t be traded until Jan. 15 but is widely expected to be dealt before the deadline, the fifth-year forward’s salary ($22.5 million) comes well short of Davis’ ($54.1 million),” Amick wrote last Wednesday.
“It would thus require the inclusion of another big contract — i.e., (Draymond) Green ($25.8 million). Yet as Warriors coach Steve Kerr said publicly last week, and team sources confirmed, a move like that is not in their plans.”
The Warriors' refusal to aggressively pursue Davis in trade talks makes it difficult to envision Kuminga joining forces with Cooper Flagg on the Mavericks this season.
Featuring Kuminga and Green/Jimmy Butler in a trade for Davis would be feasible. However, Davis’ injury concerns and the Dubs’ loyalty to Green make a deal unlikely to materialize this season.
That said, with Kuminga having multiple suitors on the trade market (Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and Washington Wizards, to name a few), it’s safe to say there’s no reason to believe the Warriors will struggle to wash their hands with the 6-foot-7 NBA champion forward.
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