The Golden State Warriors are determined to see Stephen Curry ride off into the sunset. After all, the two-time NBA MVP and four-time NBA champion is the best player in franchise history. More than that, he’s played for the same franchise his entire career, a rarity in today’s league. Rewarding his loyalty and commitment with a championship-caliber team probably seems like the least they can do.
The problem for Golden State is that the process hasn’t been that simple.
Klay Thompson left them in free agency, feeling as if he had been eclipsed by Jonathan Kuminga‘s star potential. Yet, Kuminga hasn’t been able to spread his wings in Golden State, as his strengths and tendencies don’t align too well with their roster make-up or Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s offensive philosophy. As a result of this and his impending free agency, there’s a wide held expectation that Golden State will explore sign-and-trade offers for Kuminga, the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Warriors Best Sign-And-Trade Destinations For Jonathan Kuminga
The question that the Warriors now must answer is which potential destination (and offer) for Kuminga is the best one. Here are a few options.
Washington Wizards
They say people don’t know what they have until it’s gone. Judging by the comments that the Warriors have made sense trading Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, that must be true. They don’t just sound like they regret the events that led to him being moved. They sound like he’s still their missing piece.
“…The need for offensive punch was magnified this postseason,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II write. “Some in the organization who landed on the side of exploring (Brandin) Podziemski’s value see a need for more of a Jordan Poole-type of playmaker — a confident shooter and offensive creator who can share in the playmaking load with (Stephen) Curry and (Jimmy) Butler.”
Ironically, the Wizards now need a franchise combo forward after trading Kyle Kuzma and missing out on Cooper Flagg. With the sixth overall pick, they could even draft Poole’s replacement; one with stronger perimeter defense. That’s even if Washington is able to pry both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski from the Bay, a relatively realistic possibility.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are projected to have $55.8 million in practical cap space this offseason, per Spotrac. Thus, it’s quite possible that they could just sign Kuminga outright. However, the Nets don’t sound so hard up on talent that they’ll make a drastic overpay. As a result, the Warriors could be tempted to match the hypothetical offer sheet.
To get around this, a sign-and-trade could be the best option for both teams, with Brooklyn landing Kuminga at a reasonable rate and Golden State being compensated for facilitating the deal, likely in the form of 3-and-D forward Cam Johnson. They could also entertain a double sign-and-trade, with Kuminga heading to the Nets and fellow restricted free agent Cam Thomas going to the Warriors. The Nets even have a $23.3 million trade exception from the Mikal Bridges blockbuster, giving them more flexibility.
Notably, they’ve been linked to Kuminga more than any other franchise.
San Antonio Spurs
Kuminga’s a downhill scorer whose 3-ball is a work in progress. Theoretically, he would mesh well in a frontcourt with floor-spacers. This makes the San Antonio Spurs one of his best fits, as franchise center Victor Wembanyama has a proclivity to step out beyond the arc. Indeed, despite being listed at 7-foot-3, 39.0 percent of Wembanyama’s career field goal attempts have been 3s. In 2024-25, 47.0 percent of his field goal attempts were 3-pointers, with the former No. 1 pick converting 35.2 percent of these.
Then there’s veteran forward Harrison Barnes, a career 38.5 percent 3-point shooter who nailed 43.3 percent of his 3s in 2024-25. 52.7 percent of his field goal attempts were 3s in 2024-25. With that in mind, the Warriors could want Barnes for themselves. Not only is he a stylistic fit, he won a championship with them in 2015. Furthermore, he complements Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green quite well. Fortunately, the Spurs have 23-year-old forward Julian Champagnie –a career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter –as his understudy.
Devin Vassell, a volume-scoring wing with a defensive edge, is another player Golden State could target. The 11th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, he’s made 36.9 percent of his career 3s. Fortunately, the Spurs could replace him in the upcoming draft. Rutgers guard Dylan Harper is their rumored target with the third overall pick and Texas wing Tre Johnson is an even more sensible one.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have beef with Patrick Williams. Well, that’s not quite true. It’s more of a gripe, as there’s been clear dissatisfaction with his passive nature. In a vacuum, he’s a solid outside shooter and defender who’s more or less the archetypal stretch-four. Nevertheless, with the Bulls having selected Williams with a top-five pick, many were expecting him to be a more assertive scorer.
In some ways, Kuminga is the antithesis of Williams. His 3-ball and off-ball defense are a work in progress. Yet, he’s shown himself to be a highly determined scorer with upside as an on-ball defender.
With that being said, Kuminga’s inconsistent 3-ball might not bother Chicago too much. As previously mentioned, the Bulls want a forward that’s more aggressive than Williams. Furthermore, both Matas Buzelis (36.1 percent) and Nikola Vucevic (40.2 percent) shot well from beyond the arc last season. If slotted between them in the frontcourt, the floor-spacing won’t be overly compromised.
Williams, Kevin Huerter and the 12th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft could be particularly significant to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade.
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