In a recent live stream for Bleacher Report (video link), Jake Fischer discussed the current stalemate surrounding both the Bulls with Josh Giddey and the Warriors with Jonathan Kuminga, neither of which he expects to come to an end anytime soon. During that video, Fischer reported that there is interest, at least from the Warriors’ end, in a double sign-and-trade that could solve both problems simultaneously.
“I can report that there have been multiple teams that have reached out to Josh Giddey’s representation about having interest in [him],” Fischer says. “Golden State is one of them. Golden State would be interested, depending on how the machinations would go, in some kind of Josh Giddey-Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, to my understanding.”
Of course, a sign-and-trade needs both sides to be interested, and Fischer notes that doesn’t appear to be the case at the moment. “The Bulls have been telling teams… that they don’t want to talk sign-and-trade,” he says.
According to Fischer, Chicago does have a longstanding interest in Kuminga, though it’s unclear to what extent. While the Bulls haven’t made an “aggressive pursuit” of Kuminga to this point, they remain on the periphery of the situation.
“They made outreach to Golden State early in the offseason about Kuminga, they’ve talked about Kuminga in various trade conversations with the Warriors in the past when Golden State was checking in on Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso and other things,” Fischer says.
A double sign-and-trade is a difficult maneuver to pull off, as the rules regarding base year compensation mean that the salaries going out would only count for 50% of their annual average value to the team trading them, but would count fully for the team receiving the player. Since that would apply to both the Bulls and Warriors in such a deal, any double sign-and-trade would likely necessitate a third team getting involved.
Fischer says that during the 2021 draft, the Warriors were prepared to take Giddey if Kuminga were selected ahead of their pick, and that they have maintained their interest in the 6’8″ guard. He also says that the Warriors have attempted to negotiate with this Bulls regime before, citing the 2023 deadline, when the Warriors reportedly made multiple first-round picks available in a potential deal for Alex Caruso.
He adds that rival teams feel that the Bulls are not generally forthcoming in trade negotiations, at times to the point of inscrutability.
“Other teams don’t want to talk that business with Chicago, and they know Chicago doesn’t really want to make sign-and-trade scenarios come to fruition for Josh Giddey after turning Caruso into Giddey directly with no other draft capital coming back.”
However, even if no deal is reached, Fischer says that might not end the idea of Kuminga in Chicago.
“There still is some hope from Kuminga’s side that the Bulls could factor into his situation right now, and there is also some hope to my understanding from Kuminga’s side that if he were to take the qualifying offer and reach unrestricted free agency next year, the Bulls… are going to be major players with cap space,” Fischer says.
It’s interesting that bad teams (Bulls, Kings, Suns) are the only reported teams with interest in Kuminga.
He’s not a good help defender, he doesn’t talk on defense, he doesn’t box out on the defensive boards.
Kuminga is a talented offensive player who wants the ball in his hands a lot and wants to be able to focus on his offense. That opportunity hasn’t been there for him on Steph Curry’s team and with Kerr’s emphasis on defensive effort and execution of scheme.
Winning teams are very focused on defensive execution and generally know their roles offensively.
To add bad teams are looking for an offensive star, good teams have that and are looking for defense and spacing.
i like it but how do they work out the money to get both players paid is the question?
Both teams send out an additional player to a 3rd team with a exception to absorb them. It would be a guy in the 10-20M range depending on the contract size.
This would be best case scenario for the Bulls. Kuminga, Buzelis & Essengue is a really nice young forward trio.
Jimmy & Giddey …….. sharpshooters galore for these DUBS.
Jimmy’s not really a sharp shooter from long range and neither is Josh Giddey.
But they can get you 30 points any given night and they know how to move the ball. Why shoot threes when you have layups?
And when you have layups, then the curry brothers will be open for more threes. Sounds like it works all around to me?
Plus, you forget Horford can shoot the three, DeAndre Melton can shoot the three, and Malcolm Brogdon can hit the three.
You’re sarcasm doesn’t hold water and it’s not funny because it makes no sense.
He is just a warrior hater
Might just work, but seems like connecting them based on their contract situation is a bit of a stretch
I feel like this was floated a week or so ago and dismissed because its nearly impossible to make the money work. Luke Adams what do you say?
Lol, sure, sure they are. The NBA silly season continues.
This is so obviously a planted story by the Warriors that it’s frankly embarrassing for the reporter.
Could be the bulls planted it. Warriors scouted Giddey before he got drafted and warriors may have picked him over Kuminga.
Right. Warriors desperately want to do this trade and Bulls said no, and the Dubs are pissed because they have no other good options, so they leak that the Bulls are “hard to work with.”
Giddey is legit two tiers above Kuminga as a player unless the warriors are adding some more to the package there’s no way the bulls were floating this around lol
Double sign and trade…wow. The ultimate offseason move. Triple sign and trade would be badaas though. Wonder what the most trades ever was
Bulls won’t let Giddey get away.
And the Ws will eventually relent and deal Kuminga to the Kings or Suns.
Would love to see this for my Warriors, but would dread and hate to see this for my Bulls. In my eyes, the Bulls just got the young star they needed to have; if they had a better core, I think they would have better success. The Bulls, for the love of God, better not trade him—he has already done so much in just one year.
Seems like the Bulls only want Kuminga if they have Giddey too, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me because they’re both ball-dominant and neither plays much defense. Don’t know that you can take that much of a lack of defense, given the rest of their lineup.
Giddey > Kuminga, hands down.
The Bulls should only do this if they can get a couple of FRPs with Kuminga!
No matter how intriguing the idea of bringing Kuminga to the Bulls might be, it’s hard to look past the likelihood that the Bulls FO will find a way to screw it up somehow. Doesn’t even matter the outcome- they make the trade or they don’t- Bulls FO will find a way to make a mess of things.
How can the warriors Front office be this delusional? Nobody is going to want to play for them after how they are treating Kuminga this off-season.