Okay with Trading Jonathan Kuminga: Warriors Analyst Believes Going All-In for Stephen Curry Is the Right Choice

The NBA’s trade deadline is about seven weeks away and several teams, including the Warriors, are scouring the market to find players to improve their roster. The franchise recently added Nets guard Dennis Schroder for some much-needed depth at the guard spot. However, they aren’t done surely. The Warriors are, or at least should be, keen on signing an All-Star caliber player that they can field alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

But sportscaster Mark Willard believes that the front office isn’t being aggressive enough before the markets close. The Dubs insider claimed that the team should be willing to spare no expense to ensure Curry and Green have enough talent around them to compete for one last championship in the dying hours of their prime.

He also addressed the Warriors’ hesitancy to include Jonathan Kuminga in a deal that would have netted Cam Johnson along with Schroder. Willard believes the team should only focus on the present.

He argued that worrying about the distant future and the consequences of trading a young player with potential could cost Golden State the generational talent that Curry still provides. On 95.7 The Game, the insider said,

“If in four years, Jonathan Kuminga is at the All-Star Game in a Pelicans or Nets jersey, and the Warriors organization has egg on their face, I’m okay with it.”

Willard seems to suggest that the team should have pulled the trigger on the Cam Johnson deal. That ship has likely sailed. However, he implored the franchise to trade Kuminga if they can land an All-Star caliber player. The Dubs broadcaster’s urgency is understandable.

In March, Curry will turn 37 and Green will celebrate his 35th birthday. The Warriors need to make moves and surround them with veteran players who can make the team a contender this postseason. But it’s also understandable why the team is hesitant to trade Kuminga.

Kuminga has been critical this season

The Warriors did not hand the forward a rookie extension as there’s a significant gap in how highly he values himself and how much the team is willing to pay him. The 22-year-old wants a new deal that’s roughly in the same range as Magic star Frank Wagner’s five-year, $224 million extension. Golden State doesn’t believe he’s worth that much.

The standstill meant he entered the season having to prove he was worthy of the contract he was demanding. JK did not have the finest start to the campaign. However, over his last eight outings, he’s showcasing why he may land a massive offer. In that stretch, he has averaged 19.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 30 minutes per game.

Kuminga is finally producing at the level the Warriors knew he was capable of when they picked him seventh overall in the 2021 NBA draft. The franchise takes pride in winning with homegrown talent. Flipping a 22-year-old first-round pick for a veteran is not how they operate.

However, they might have to make an exception in this case. As impactful as Kuminga has been, he’s still a year or two away from being a player that could play a critical role in a title charge. Curry and Green don’t have that long to spare.

The Warriors can either wait for the forward to develop or prioritize winning the championship before their veteran duo begins declining. They are leaning toward the latter and Kuminga could be the collateral in a deal to make it happen.