If Jayson Tatum really is going to return later on in the 2025-26 season, should Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens make an aggressive, win-now move at the trade deadline? If Stevens can do so without overburdening Boston’s cap situation (which he spent the offseason trimming), it might be something to think about. The place to start would be to see if you can replace Anfernee Simons and his expiring deal for another asset better suited to help Boston win in the playoffs. Simons can score the heck out of the ball, but he’s struggled to gain the full trust of Joe Mazzulla due to his effort on defense. Here’s a thought. Imagine if the Celtics could dangle Simons — as well as Sam Hauser — and swing a three-team deal to land Golden State Warriors wing Jonathan Kuminga. An anonymous executive says Jonathan Kuminga is viewed as one of the best trade assets in the league, per @TheSteinLine “He's not even eligible to be moved until Jan. 15, but it's no secret that the Warriors' hardball stance all summer with Kuminga in the sides' restricted free… pic.twitter.com/rh91K1uYxK— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 21, 2025 Kuminga is a $22.5 million cap hit who has a team option for next season, so he’s essentially expiring. He has the elite athleticism and two-way impact to slide into Boston’s lineup and impact winning, potentially pairing up with Jaylen Brown to take on the toughest defensive assignments against wings when JT comes back, making things easier for Tatum. Story continues below advertisement Hauser has been a valuable piece for Boston, but moving his $45 million deal (through 2028-29) in exchange for a virtually expiring deal in Kuminga would provide the Celtics with further cap space moving forward. The trouble here would be putting together a package enticing enough for the Warriors. Boston would have to loop in a third team to make the money work, and the Utah Jazz would be happy to swap out some contracts for Simons’s expiring as they continue to rebuild. Here’s a trade framework, but the key variable is the third asset Boston would have to include in a shipment to the Warriors (more on this below). Celtics receive:– Jonathan Kuminga ($22.5M + team option in ’26-27)– Kyle Anderson ($9.2M + non-guaranteed ’26-27) Story continues below advertisement Warriors receive:– Sam Hauser– Georges Niang– third asset from Celtics* Jazz receive:– Anfernee Simons *Any of the following Celtics players would work money-wise as that third asset for the Warriors: Hugo González, Baylor Scheierman, Xavier Tillman, Luka Garza, Josh Minott, Neemias Queta, Chris Boucher, Jordan Walsh. Story continues below advertisement González is far and away the most valuable asset of that bunch, and including him in the deal might be enough for the Warriors to bite. The problem is, that’s way too much for the Celtics to give up (González, Hauser and Simons) for a one-year rental of Kuminga and Kyle Anderson. The Celtics aren’t likely interested in moving Queta, either, given their lack of depth at center. On the other end of the spectrum, the Warriors would be completely unmoved by Scheierman, Tillman, or Garza. Story continues below advertisement But would Golden State be interested to a considerable degree in any of Boucher, Minott or Walsh? Keep in mind that the Warriors are looking for players that can help them win now (and over the next two or three years), also known as the Stephen Curry window. That’s exactly why getting a guy like Hauser on an affordable deal over that span would be a good move. If the Warriors made it clear that they’re looking to move Kuminga (as has been suggested in reports), it feels likely that another suitor would be able to trump a package of Hauser, Minott and Georges Niang, thereby pushing the Celtics to include González. It would be a tough road of negotiations to end up with a deal that everyone is happy with, but it’s still food for thought. Kuminga and Anderson would fit very nicely on this Celtics team, especially as depth wings for when Tatum returns. Story continues below advertisement