Jonathan Kuminga
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Jonathan Kuminga could see more minutes with the Golden State Warriors after Jimmy Butler's season-ending injury.
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most talked about teams in the NBA rumor mill leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
Most notably, the Warriors have been heavily connected to a potential blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. They have emerged as the front-runner to acquire Antetokounmpo if the Bucks choose to move him before the deadline.
That being said, there are many who don’t believe he will be dealt by Milwaukee before the deadline. Many believe that he will be traded during the offseason when the Bucks have a better picture of what draft picks they’re truly being offered.
Another ongoing storyline for Golden State has been about the future of young forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Since the NBA offseason, Kuminga has been a fixture of the trade rumor mill. He is not expected to remain with the Warriors long-term. Whether a parting of ways happens before the deadline or during the offseason, the two sides are expected to divorce.
Golden State Warriors Land Surprising Jonathan Kuminga Trade Prediction
With the trade deadline just a couple of days away, Golden State has received a new prediction about the future of Kuminga.
CBS Sports analyst Brad Botkin has predicted that Kuminga will not be dealt before the trade deadline. Instead, he expects Kuminga to remain with the Warriors and focus on improving his value for potential suitors during the NBA offseason.
“So the saga continues in the Bay. Kuminga remains on the team, picking up a good amount of Jimmy Butler’s minutes with the Warriors hoping he can finally raise his value high enough for someone to offer more this summer,” Botkin wrote.
In recent rumors, Kuminga would be one of the main pieces headed back to Milwaukee in a trade for Antetokounmpo. Should the Bucks decide to keep Antetokounmpo, trading Kuminga would be a much more difficult task for Golden State.
The Warriors Are Facing a Lot of Pressure Before the Deadline
So far this season, the Warriors have compiled a 27-23 record. Stephen Curry and company have the talent to compete in the Western Conference, but those chances took a huge hit when Jimmy Butler went down for the year with a torn ACL.
Losing Butler took Golden State from being a serious contender to a fringe contender. If the Warriors want to change that, they’ll need to make a sizable move before the deadline.
Antetokounmpo would be a dream trade target for Golden State. If he isn’t moved, the Warriors may not have many fallback options who could power them back to NBA Finals contention.
Expect to hear plenty of rumors about the Warriors over the next 48 hours. Golden State will likely continue trying to convince Milwaukee to trade Antetokounmpo. If those talks stall, there is no telling what the Warriors might try to do.