Jonathan Kuminga
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Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors will be eligible for trade on January 15.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to trade Jonathan Kuminga before the February 5 deadline. Kuminga will be eligible for trade on January 15, but his market has been quiet after coach Steve Kerr removed him from his rotation last month.
Before the season started, the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns were reportedly interested in the 23-year-old forward. Multiple teams have been linked this season, but his value seemingly took a hit when he wasn’t getting any minutes since December 20.
According to Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard, the Warriors have seen an uptick in interest in Kuminga. Emerman described the player’s market as “warming,” and multiple teams are showing their interest, including the previously linked Kings.
“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,” Emerman wrote.
The report added that Golden State needs to take advantage of the growing interest in Kuminga, who hasn’t provided any value on the court over the past month.
Warriors Want Pelicans Star
Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard also reported that the player the Golden State Warriors want to acquire is Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans.
The only problem? The Pelicans are no longer interested in trading Murphy, along with Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, as per Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime.
Golden State can turn its attention to Michael Porter Jr., but Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported that the Brooklyn Nets are not inclined to trade him this season.
Other options mentioned by Emerman include a number of role players, such as John Collins, Anfernee Simons, Miles Bridges, De’Andre Hunter and Jerami Grant. He also added a trio of former All-Stars: Khris Middleton, Jarrett Allen, and DeMar DeRozan.
While a third option and a reliable shooter outside of Steph Curry are needed, the Warriors’ biggest flaw is their size. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Monte Poole opined that Golden State was “exposed” after Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Jonathan Kuminga is still the Warriors’ biggest trade asset due to a combination of his age, potential and contract. He has a team option for next season, so he’ll be under team control for one more year before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Steve Kerr Explains Why Kuminga Isn’t Playing
Speaking to reporters before Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, Steve Kerr was asked about Jonathan Kuminga’s role moving forward. Kuminga hasn’t stepped on the court since Dec. 20 and has only played once in the Golden State Warriors’ last 13 games.
“I’m disappointed for him that things didn’t continue to go the way they did the first couple of weeks. At the same time, it was going to be tricky to start JK, Jimmy (Butler) and Draymond (Green) at the two, three and four. I think anybody can see that’s a tough combination, just based on shooting,” Kerr said, via NBC Sports Bay Area.
With only a few days before Kuminga becomes eligible for trade, his time in the Bay Area is possibly approaching its end.