The 2025 NBA Draft is set to begin on Wednesday night. Ahead of the draft, there have already been a few big-time trades made around the league. Could the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors look to make a trade of their own?
Before Kevin Durant was traded to the Houston Rockets, the Heat were hoping to be able to acquire him from the Phoenix Suns. That fell through and left Pat Riley and company searching for another option.
That option could come in the form of Warriors' young wing Jonathan Kuminga.
With just hours remaining until the start of the NBA Draft, the two teams have been linked as possible trade partners.
According to a report from Anthony Slater of The Athletic, Miami has a legitimate interest in a trade for Kuminga with Golden State. It's something to watch as the draft draws closer.
"The Kevin Durant trade might've helped. The Miami Heat missed out on Durant and have legitimate Kuminga interest, per league sources, among others expected to explore the idea as the market materializes," Slater wrote. "The Brooklyn Nets loom as a possible offer sheet team, but did use a chunk of their cap space in a Tuesday night trade."
Not long ago, Kuminga spoke out about his future. He simply wants to play for a team that values him and believes in him.
"Wherever I go, wherever I'll be, off the rip, I just want them to be like, 'Oh, yeah, he deserved what he got. He deserved to be here. He worked hard for it.' Wherever it is, that's what I want it to feel like," Kuminga said, as shared by Slater. "I want to be great. I feel like I'm capable of being that, capable of doing some special things and I won't just let it go like that. The only way to get there is just to lock in every single day."
Kuminga is coming off a solid season with the Warriors. However, there were some major ups and downs, with Kuminga seeing a lot of bench time late in the year and even at times in the playoffs.
He played in 47 regular season games, receiving just 10 starts. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, shooting 45.4 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent from the three-point line.
In the playoffs, he showed major signs of life after Stephen Curry's injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He averaged 20.8 points, three rebounds, and 1.2 assists in that series, shooting 54.3 percent overall and 42.1 percent from three-point distance.
At just 22 years old, the future is bright for Kuminga. Should he land with the Heat, Miami would have a piece who could turn into a legitimate cornerstone and future star.
While these are just rumors right now, a trade between the Heat and Warriors does seem to be a real possibility.
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