Bold Warriors trade proposal sends Jonathan Kuminga to surprise West rival

Bold Warriors trade proposal sends Jonathan Kuminga to surprise West rival originally appeared on The Sporting News

Restricted free agent Golden State Warriors power forward Jonathan Kuminga remains very much unsigned as the summer drags on.

In fact, all four of the top restricted free agents on the market — Kuminga, Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey, Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes, and Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas — are still waiting for their next contracts.

Because only Brooklyn has cap room at this stage in free agency, none of the other 29 NBA squads can just outright tender offers to these young players — which their own teams could match if they so choose.

Kuminga appears to be dissatisfied with his situation in Golden State, where hierarchically his standing is fairly tenuous behind established-if-aging All-Stars Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green.

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Head coach Steve Kerr clearly doesn't trust Kuminga's offensive decision making. He holds onto the ball too long and is an erratic shooter beyond the arc.

A bold new trade proposal pitches a deal for Golden State to ship Kuminga to a surprise Western Conference rival.

Thomas Carelli of Fantasy Sports On SI proposes a deal that would send Kuminga to a rebuilding squad in the Western Conference — a team that has no interest in competing for anything in the present, and thus could represent an opportunity for the 6-foot-8 pro to develop on a relatively long runway.

Jazz Receive: Jonathan Kuminga via-sign-and-trade

Warriors Receive: Georges Niang via $8.8M Traded Player Exception, 2027 first-round pick (via the Minnesota Timberwolves), Utah's 2028 first

With Carelli's proposed exchange, Golden State would add a cost-effective stretch four on an expiring contract for the present in Niang, while also restocking its future draft equity. The picks could be used in a future trade or just to add new young talent on rookie-scale deals.

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