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There’s a style of joke, in television and film, that drags out so egregiously long that it starts out funny, then becomes not funny at all, and eventually comes all the way back around to hilarious. Think the Austin Powers Mustafa gag. (opens in new tab)
That’s Jonathan Kuminga and his rollercoaster tenure with the Warriors.
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The cycle of Kuminga’s career — tease a breakthrough, slip up, lose Steve Kerr’s trust, deal with trade rumors, repeat — has been dark humor. It was no longer funny this past summer, when contract negotiations seeped into training camp. It’s hilarious now, as Kerr has banished the young wing to the bench for over a month, inserting even more awkwardness into the bit.
It’s time for Golden State to end the joke. To get serious.
A league source described the market for Kuminga on Friday as warming, with multiple teams registering varied interest. The Kings, whom the Warriors destroyed on Friday, are among the teams fond of Kuminga.
That’s great for the Warriors. They need to take advantage. They have no excuse for failing to find a trade partner to unload a player who is providing the current team zero value.
For as tense as the past summer was for Kuminga’s camp and the Warriors, they agreed to structure his deal in the most tradeable manner possible. That’s, of course, not a coincidence. Because Kuminga is making $22.5 million this year with a team option for $24.3 million next year, he’s not only at a salary that can be easily aggregated in trades, but he’s also on an expiring contract this year or next. He’s a prime example of a potential low-risk acquisition, because a team can eject for cap relief if they don’t like what they see or hammer out an extension if Kuminga balls out.
There are teams across the league who are interested in Kuminga because of his potential as a 23-year-old dynamic athlete. Practically any team outside of the inner circle of contenders could be intrigued by that contract.
Kuminga becomes trade-eligible on Jan. 15, but don’t expect a breaking news tweet when the clock strikes midnight; multiple sources indicated the Warriors don’t have a trade lined up. Under general manager Mike Dunleavy, Golden State tends to operate with pragmatism and patience, and will intend to execute the best deal possible.
But the Warriors shouldn’t be too picky. The “perfect” trade for Kuminga, a distressed asset getting DNPs, will probably never come. If one doesn’t appear in the month leading up to Feb. 5, it almost certainly won’t be available next summer when Kuminga’s contract becomes slightly less appealing.
Some trade offers might be hard to swallow from a value perspective for the former seventh overall pick, but Kuminga is a sunk cost. The Warriors need to turn him into someone, anyone, that can help the team win this year.
“This year” is the operative phrase. Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler are each playing at All-Star levels in their late-30s. They and Draymond Green — who’s showing signs of rebounding after a horrendous December — talk about how much fun they still have “chasing something meaningful.”
The Warriors have no intention of trading Curry, Butler, or Green. They want to do what they can to give the veterans a chance at playing competitive basketball in April and May.
The Warriors owe their stars that much. Cashing in Kuminga for a player who can slot into Kerr’s rotation helps them accomplish that goal.
The team shouldn’t wait too long to pounce, either. The earlier Golden State makes a move, the more time it’ll have to evaluate its roster before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. And the closer the Warriors get to the deadline without a transaction, the more other teams can use Golden State’s desperation as leverage.
The Warriors have won eight of their past 11 games, settling into a set starting lineup and rotation behind it. But much of this hot stretch came against poor opponents such as Utah, Charlotte, and Brooklyn.
One of the Warriors’ three losses in that span was a 103-102 defeat to the Clippers in which Golden State shot a season-low 24% from deep. Kuminga, as he has been for over a month now, was out of the rotation. Would Golden State have won the game if, for example, John Collins played 20 minutes instead of Kuminga’s DNP? How about Boston’s Anfernee Simons? Portland’s Jerami Grant?
Maybe a change of scenery would do wonders for Khris Middleton (who comes off Washington’s books after this year anyway). If the Cavaliers continue to stumble, perhaps they’d listen on center Jarrett Allen or wing De’Andre Hunter. Hornets forward Miles Bridges and Kings wing DeMar DeRozan can get a bucket.
None of those are perfect players. Far from it. But they’d each play for the Warriors. Kuminga, famously, does not play for the Warriors. A marginal talent upgrade is far better than dragging out this humiliation ritual.
The Warriors made their home-run swing last year with the Butler trade, and it has been fabulous. It doesn’t seem like another blockbuster is materializing at the moment. And while patience helped in the Butler situation, urgency is required now; it could be too late for Curry and Butler by the time the next disgruntled star becomes available.
The Warriors covet Trey Murphy, but the Pelicans have made clear they want to keep their nucleus that also includes Herb Jones, Zion Williamson, and Derik Queen intact. Michael Porter Jr. is starring in Brooklyn, but the Nets may prefer to keep him because they don’t control their own pick next year.
There is a non-zero chance the Warriors don’t field an offer they deem sufficient, hold onto Kuminga, and try again in the summer. Unlikely, but not impossible. That scenario would be a complete catastrophe.
Dunleavy and his front office need to act now, in weeks between Jan. 15 and Feb. 5. Waiting until the offseason means punting on this year, risking turning a fading dynasty into a dead one. Curry and Butler remain elite, but will they still be elite next year, when they’re 39 and 38?
If the Warriors get through the deadline without dealing Kuminga, the Kuminga running joke will continue. Only they’ll be the punchline.