The Golden State Warriors have been very active all season when it comes to exploring potential trades. Earlier in the year, young star Jonathan Kuminga wasn’t receiving the playing time he wanted, which led him to demand a trade.
“On the first day he became eligible to be moved, fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga demanded a trade away from the Golden State Warriors, league sources told ESPN. Kuminga could not be traded until Thursday, according to the terms of the contract he signed this summer,” ESPN’s Shams Charania wrote.
The Warriors had been pursuing the biggest name on the trade block in Giannis Antetokounmpo, with Golden State reportedly among the finalists for the former MVP.
“The Heat, Timberwolves and Warriors are viewed as the finalists for pulling off a Giannis Antetokounmpo deadline trade, per WindhorstESPN..Miami and Minnesota are actively calling teams trying to extract more draft capital, but might not do it until they know Giannis signs off,” NBA reporter Evan Sidery wrote.
However, on Wednesday night, the Warriors agreed to trade Buddy Hield and Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. The move proved costly, as it effectively removed Golden State from the running for Antetokounmpo.
“Kuminga was central to any in-season Giannis trade offer ... all but confirming Golden State is out of contention for Antetokounmpo before Thursday's 3 PM ET trade buzzer. Soon we find out if the Bucks are open to Miami or Minnesota ... or if all this gets shoved into summer,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein posted.
This comes as a gut punch to Warriors fans, who believed there was a real chance the organization could land Antetokounmpo. On the bright side, it likely means Golden State will keep Draymond Green in-house.
The Warriors will now see how the second half of the season unfolds following their new additions. It was somewhat surprising to see Hield included in the deal, especially given his relationship with Jimmy Butler.