The Golden State Warriors’ roster is still missing a true third star.
When the franchise won two championships in the late 2010s, it had three standout contributors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kevin Durant.
When the Dubs secured a championship in 2022, Curry, Thompson, and Jordan Poole/Andrew Wiggins (toss-up) led the way offensively.
While the franchise has expected Jonathan Kuminga to ascend to stardom alongside Curry and Jimmy Butler on its current roster, it hasn’t happened, causing many to call for a blockbuster trade.
ClutchPoints’ Rohan Brahmbhatt believes that Golden State could ship Jonathan Kuminga to the Sacramento Kings for a 6-foot-5 two-time All-Star guard.
“Zach LaVine, in theory, represents offensive explosion and shot creation that the Warriors currently lack outside of Curry,” Brahmbhatt wrote Sunday.
“His athleticism, three-level scoring, and ability to generate late-clock offense would ease the enormous offensive burden Curry carries nightly.”
“On paper, the idea is attractive.A core of Curry, LaVine, Butler, (Draymond) Green, and supporting depth would make for a dangerous postseason unit capable of surviving defensive storms and enduring scoring droughts.”
“The Warriors could build a package around Jonathan Kuminga's contract, salary filler, and young pieces like Moses Moody, but the question remains whether the front office wants to mortgage its future for a player that does not meaningfully guarantee contention.”
Before joining the Kings before last season’s trade deadline, LaVine was a rumored target for a Warriors squad playing mediocre basketball in the Bay.
Curry is at his best when he’s competing alongside electric wings who can light it up from beyond the arc, hence why his partnerships with Thompson and Durant were successful.
While LaVine got off to a rocky start from three-point land in the big leagues (he shot 34.1% from deep as a rookie), he’s found his touch with time, allowing him to boast a 39.0% career three-point percentage with plenty of juice left in the tank.
It also helps that the UCLA product can create his own offense in late shot-clock situations, which would do wonders for Curry and Butler moving forward.
LaVine is averaging 20.7 points per game on 49.1% field goal shooting and 37.8% three-point shooting in 19 contests with the miserable 5-16 Kings this year.
With Kuminga unlikely to make a drastic change in his play in the Bay, Brahmbhatt’s Western Conference trade idea could easily come to fruition.
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