The Golden State Warriors do not want to trade Jonathan Kuminga, but he may not be untouchable
Since selecting him seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors have been very reluctant to include Jonathan Kuminga in trade discussions. What has been somewhat confusing about Golden State’s reluctance to entertain Kuminga deals, is that it wasn’t until midway through this past season when he first started getting consistent starts.
While Kuminga thrived in his 46 starts last season, averaging 17.2 PPG on an impressive 53.1% from the field, there were still questions as to what starting group was Golden State’s most effective when fully healthy. Steve Kerr spent most of the season playing with different lineup combinations until Golden State’s play-in exit, and Kuminga’s role often fluctuated as a result of this.
Despite never having a consistently defined role, Kuminga has shown flashes of a future star, which is why the Warriors will reportedly only consider dealing him this summer in a trade that brings back an All-NBA player. This is what Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported, writing, “Kuminga will likely be a Warrior going forward unless he’s needed in a trade package for an All-NBA player, HoopsHype has learned.”
This is a significant report because while it reiterated Golden State’s desire to keep Kuminga, it also suggests he is not completely untouchable. Golden State’s reluctance to deal with Kuminga is understandable, but they also need to decide how badly they want to maximize the final years of Steph Curry’s stardom.
