We are now well into the NBA offseason, and the Golden State Warriors have yet to make any additions to their roster. The Warriors are the only team that hasn't made a move yet, and the biggest talking point surrounding them is the Jonathan Kuminga saga.
Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and ESPN stated that he has rejected a two-year, $45 million offer that the Warriors had put on the table. The 22-year-old has been looking for a deal worth $30 million a year, and it appears relationships have soured to the point he doesn't want to play for the team next season.
It's a tricky situation that the Warriors have found themselves in, but they might have found a way out of it. NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that they would be interested in a trade involving Kuminga and Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey.
Giddey is another restricted free agent who hasn't gotten the kind of deal he hoped this offseason. It was widely reported that the Australian was also seeking a deal worth $30 million a year from the Bulls.
ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel now reports that rival agents think a three-year deal worth between $65 and $70 million would be a good compromise for Giddey and the Bulls. It looks likely at this point that the guard will have to settle for a deal closer to $20 million than $30 million, and with that in mind, we propose a mock trade.
Proposed Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic, Ayo Dosunmu, 2028 first-round pick (CHI)
Chicago Bulls Receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody
The Warriors will also likely have to part with Buddy Hield in another trade to get this move over the line, depending on the kind of contracts that get handed out.
The Warriors Get A Better Fit And Fill A Need
A big problem for the Warriors with Kuminga is that he just isn't a good fit with their system. That won't be the case with Giddey, who is a great playmaking guard to have next to Stephen Curry.
Giddey averaged 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Bulls in 2024-25. The outside shot had been the biggest knock on the guard during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he shot a respectable 37.8% from beyond the arc in his first season in Chicago.
Giddey ended the season strong as well, averaging 21.2 and 9.3 assists per game after the All-Star break while shooting 50% from the field and 45.7% from three. If this is a sign of things to come, he could well get some All-Star consideration next season.
As for Nikola Vucevic, who is entering the final year of his three-year, $60 million deal, there appears to be no trade market for him. He'd be a solid stopgap at that center spot for the Warriors, who have been chasing after Al Horford all offseason.
Vucevic averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game last season. He may not be the ideal center for a team chasing a title, but there aren't too many good ones lying around aside from Horford.
While there would be some concerns surrounding Vucevic, that won't be the case with Ayo Dosunmu. The Warriors need a point-of-attack defender, and Dosunmu is just that. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Bulls in 2024-25 and would be a fine addition.
To go with all this, the Warriors also get a valuable 2028 first-round pick from the Bulls. They are ultimately giving up better players in this deal and need some draft compensation. The Warriors could either keep that pick or flip it in another trade.
The Bulls Get A Young, Dynamic Forward To Build Around
Kuminga fancies himself to be an All-Star caliber player, and he would get the platform to show that on the Buylls. We saw a glimpse of what he can do in a bigger role towards the end of the playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.
With Curry out and Jimmy Butler not quite himself, Kuminga took center stage in the last three games against the Timberwolves. He averaged 26.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in that span while shooting 51.9% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
With a bigger role that would allow him to showcase his abilities, Kuminga could be a solid piece for the Bulls to build around, along with the likes of Matas Buzelis.
A two-way guard like Moses Moody would complement them well, too. Moody averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Warriors in 2024-25.
A Win-Win Trade?
You don't see too many win-win trades in the NBA, but this could potentially turn out to be one. The Warriors and the Bulls have reservations about giving massive contracts to their respective restricted free agents for one reason or another.
It just so happens that Giddey would prove to be a better fit and more valuable for the Warriors. His playmaking can make life so much easier for Curry and Butler and would ease the load on an aging Draymond Green.
Adding Dosunmu, meanwhile, gives them a defensive presence that they need in that backcourt. Lastly, Vucevic, for all his faults, is still a solid stretch five and a pretty good rebounder.
For the Bulls, they'd be backing on Kuminga's higher upside when making this trade. He has the potential to be the best player in this deal based on how they develop him, and they also get a quality piece in Moses Moody.
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