The Golden State Warriors have shot through the gates with an impressive 14-9 start to the season. But it’s also clear that they don’t have the firepower to keep up with the other bona fide contenders in the Western Conference. Despite being a top-six seed as of now, Golden State still need a second star to pair with Stephen Curry to compensate for the loss of Klay Thompson in the offseason.
Advertisement
Packaging Jonathan Kuminga, currently the team’s most touted prospect, could be the interim plan. But former Dallas Mavericks forward Chandler Parsons believes the Warriors need a ready-to-go star to catapult themselves as legitimate title contenders. He believes that parting ways with Kuminga would be Golden State’s best course of action, since the 36-year-old Curry has only a few years of prime left.
“Kuminga’s a great player, the future for Kuminga is great. But is he a number two option right now on a contending team? No. But you build him up, you build his value. Do they think they can get another championship [by] adding something else other than Kuminga and Wiggins with Draymond and Steph right now?” Parsons said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
The Warriors would need to trade Jonathan Kuminga to be contenders this year
“Is he a number two option on a contending team? No.” – Chandler Parsons
https://t.co/7ZYaHZWFRQ@MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/FjTNyZIsS8
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 9, 2024
Parsons also weighed in on the market value of the young forward, who has been in and out of the team’s starting lineup despite being in his fourth season. While Michelle Beadle declared that the Warriors will regret trading Kuminga since he is getting better, Parsons saw no other option if the franchise doesn’t want to waste Curry’s last few years.
“We’ll see, how high can his [JK’s] value go, he’s a future piece. I think there’s definitely a lot of potential there, but he’s not the guy right now to be the second option on a contending team,” Parsons added.
In all fairness, Kuminga is not a generational talent for the Dubs. Parsons is right in his assessment that the Dubs should cash their chips before the February deadline to have the best shot ahead of this year’s postseason.
Kuminga’s trade market is heating up once again
Kuminga is averaging 15.0 points per game amid an up-and-down campaign. This marks a slight downtick from his 16.1 PPG last year. But he has still shown, albeit in flashes, that he has the potential to be a versatile forward.
Kuminga’s latest breakout, a 33-point performance against the Houston Rockets on Thursday, seems to have rekindled trade interest in him. It has also led to debates regarding whether the 6-foot-8 forward can become that elusive secondary star for the Warriors.
It takes more than one elite performance for a player to solidify themselves as a star. There is a chance that the Warriors would be tempted to cash in on Kuminga while he’s playing his best ball.
