With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the Golden State Warriors have been mentioned as a team that is in the market as buyers as they hope to improve the roster heading into the second half of the season. There is one player who is at the top of the Warriors’ list for trade targets, and that is Brooklyn Nets’ wing Michael Porter Jr., as per ClutchPoints’ NBA insider Brett Siegel.
While the Warriors would love nothing more than to trade for Michael Porter Jr., the one thing that could potentially hold up a deal is the Nets’ willingness to accept the Warriors’ offer. That offer would include Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and a first-round pick. As mentioned by Siegel, the Warriors do not appear to be willing to include more than one first-round pick, potentially scrapping any hopes of a deal getting done.
If a Porter trade does not come to fruition, the Warriors have their sights set on other targets such as Ayo Dosunmu, Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford, Haywood Highsmith and Robert Williams III. What is certain, however, is that Kuminga is essentially gone by the deadline. All that remains to be seen is what kind of a package he is part of, and to what team.
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Kuminga has yet again fallen out of the Warriors’ rotation in recent weeks. He’s appeared in a total of 18 games, including 12 starts, at a little over 24 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 43.1 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line and 74.1 percent from the free-throw line. He has not played in a game since Dec. 18.
In comparison, Porter is putting up the best season of his career, and would be a major upgrade for the Warriors. He’s appeared in 29 games and has been averaging a career-high 25.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 49 percent from the field and 39.7 percent from 3-point range.