While Jonathan Kuminga is still very much on the trade block, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. remains unwilling to make a bad deal just to satisfy the forward’s trade demand, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. According to Slater, multiple team sources have suggested to ESPN that Kuminga is less likely to be dealt in the wake of Jimmy Butler‘s season-ending ACL tear.
While that could just be posturing from a front office looking to regain leverage, there will presumably be less urgency in Golden State to make a win-now move using Kuminga’s salary, since Butler’s injury significantly limits the team’s ceiling this season. Additionally, head coach Steve Kerr spoke multiple times in the past about how he found it difficult to play Kuminga alongside Butler and Draymond Green due to spacing concerns — with Butler sidelined, there’s a clearer path to regular minutes for Kuminga.
On top of that, it remains to be seen whether any teams will make a serious play for Kuminga prior to the February 5 deadline. The Kings have been his top suitor for several months, but the Warriors have maintained that they aren’t interested in taking back a player owed money beyond this season, such as Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan, Slater writes.
According to Slater, some Warriors sources are optimistic that Kuminga will be able to return from his knee injury and rejoin the rotation prior to the trade deadline, before the team has to make a decision on his future.
We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Dave McMenamin of ESPN confirms that the Lakers have explored the possibility of trading their lone tradable first-round pick (in either 2031 or 2032) for multiple less valuable first-rounders, as previously reported. Phoenix made a similar move last season in a deal with Utah. The idea would be to give the Lakers more flexibility to make multiple trades using first-round picks, rather than waiting for the perfect opportunity to use their most valuable remaining draft asset.
- The Rockets raised eyebrows last summer when they made Clint Capela a priority in free agency, adding the veteran center to a frontcourt that already featured Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams. But with Adams facing an extended injury absence, Houston is once again mulling the possibility of adding another big man, either on the trade market or in the buyout market, Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports reports. The Rockets have a top-five offense this season in large part due to their NBA-best offensive rebounding numbers, which have been fueled by bigger lineups.
- While the Bulls have widely been regarded as probable deadline sellers, they’re only 1.5 games out of a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has heard from multiple sources that Chicago would like to improve its playoff chances this season. The Bulls also want to add young, athletic players who can become part of their core alongside Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis, Pincus adds.
- In an expansive trade deadline primer, ESPN’s Bobby Marks divides the NBA’s 30 teams into eight tiers, breaking down how each club will approach the deadline, along with their most notable assets.
One of the warriors problems is too much money going to only a few players so you are at the bottom of the barrel for free agents. Good example last night when they had nothing to play after 8 players out. Now 1/4 of the payroll next year is wasted carrying Butler. Stop signing old broken down players or trading for them.
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What a mess. Warriors are going in circles.
Their best plan for Kuminga now is to slot him into the lineup and hope that he can get his value even close to the 24 mil price tag that GS is going to have to give him by taking the team option. Then trading him away for a difference maker.
Sound familiar?
I am at the point of wondering why some fans think a big star player will becoming to the warriors when there is no assets to trade for a star. Right now Kuminga trade value is very low so its either play him or watch the team get nothing.
My Hawks truly miss Clint Capela, specifically his rebounding. This Koloko signing has definitely been paying off tho.
Lol the Warriors are hilarious. They’re not fooling anyone.
JK has cleaned out his locker, terminated his lease, and his bags are packed.
Jonathan Kuminga is 100% gone traded shipped out bye-bye sayonara. At this point, it does not matter what they get for him he’s gone.
Dubs hope to get something of value, but by himself he’s worthless at this point. Send him out with a player or two or first round pick or two etc. and perhaps the Warriors can bring in a player of significance.
Warriors fans are starting to act like cowboys fans. Not you. You’ve actually been one of the posters on here who have been pretty even And keeping it real. But man, the end of a dynasty is always the end. Even the Spurs had to retool and you didn’t hear their fans talking about oh where you need to trade this player. So Duncan can still play and blah blah blah. It’s over! Your Superstar is 38 years old and he’s done an amazing job because he’s a top 10 player extending his prime. But Curry without a deep roster cannot win and Curry makes too much money now to where him and Butler’s contract you’re not going to have an actual championship team. Ler Curry and green ride their last two years out this year and next year by your three either of them can be your best player just like LeBron is not a best player on a team anymore. It just happens father time gets everybody
Kings should just offer Ellis and DeRozan for Kuminga and filler. Warriors won’t have any other offer. Kuminga to Kings is solid move.
Dunleavy Jr. fumbled this from the start. Not sure, but he seems to be a below average GM from way over here.