The general consensus across the NBA is that Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga will be traded before the Feb. 5 deadline once he is eligible to be dealt on Jan. 15.
Jonathan Kuminga Has Struggled This Season
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Kuminga is “considered one of the top trade candidates across the league in the eyes of NBA executives,” despite his inconsistent play.
Through his first 17 games (13 starts) this season, Kuminga is averaging 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, a career-high 2.5 turnovers, and 25.6 minutes per outing while shooting a career-low 43.8% from the field.
Kuminga, who fell out of Golden State’s rotation earlier this month, is expected to reenter it when the Warriors visit the Suns in Phoenix following a three-day break, head coach Steve Kerr indicated Wednesday.
“You definitely want to see how guys respond in practice,” Kerr said. “And I can tell you, JK, has been great this last week as he’s been out of the rotation. He’s working really hard, and I’m going to reward that.”
After starting the first 12 games of the season, Kuminga was demoted to a bench role amid struggles. The 6-foot-7 wing was then sidelined for seven games due to bilateral knee tendonitis.
Following a return to action in late November, Kuminga appeared in four games in a row, making another start on Dec. 6 in Cleveland, but he has been a DNP-CD in each of Golden State’s past three games.
Warriors Had Trade Talks With Kuminga
Despite Kerr’s latest comments, it would appear that Kuminga’s days in the Bay Area are numbered.
ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported over the summer that Golden State had engaged in Kuminga sign-and-trade discussions with the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings.
The Warriors had previously presented Kuminga with three separate contract offers. The most lucrative was a three-year, $75.2 million deal with a team option on the third season.
It would have guaranteed Kuminga $48.3 million in the first two seasons.
Kuminga was also presented a two-year, $45 million deal with a team option on the second season and a three-year, $54 million deal without options.
However, Kuminga rejected those proposals.
In September, Kuminga finally signed a two-year, $46.8 million deal with the Warriors to end a prolonged contract stalemate. As part of the deal, he waived his inherent no-trade clause.
The club option in the second year is designed for either Golden State or another team if and when Kuminga is traded this season.
