Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga
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Jonathon Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors.
In a perfect world, the Golden State Warriors would be able to swap Jonathan Kuminga for a young player with upside or one with All-Star potential. As the contract stalemate between the Warriors and Kuminga continues, the likelihood of the Warriors landing a quality talent is diminishing with each passing day.
As the Warriors prepare to lower their expectations, they can look to hidden gems around the league, at players who may not have reached their full potential in their current situations. The Brooklyn Nets’ Day’Ron Sharpe is one of those unheralded talents. In four seasons with the Nets, Sharpe has averaged only 6.5 points and 5.6 rebounds from 14.5 minutes, but has shown flashes of a quality NBA player.
Sports Illustrated’s Thomas Carelli believes Sharpe can thrive with the Warriors, where he can play his role of a screener, rim-runner, and rim protector to perfection, while being surrounded by veteran stars such as Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.
Warriors would receive: Day’Ron Sharpe, 2030 Protected 1st Round Pick (Top 8), 2029 2nd Round Pick
Nets would receive: Jonathan Kuminga (sign-and-trade)
How the Trade Helps…
Besides landing an athletic big with upside, the Warriors nab a few draft assets that will help them get even younger in the coming years. The team could definitely use some youth, considering that Curry, Green, and Draymond Green are all above 35, and Buddy Hield, the team’s best bench player, is 32.
Sharpe, 23, can be part of Golden State’s future core next to Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Quinten Pos,t and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
“Day’Ron Sharpe is a nice, young center,” wrote Careli. “The Nets are signing him to a two-year deal for this reason. For 2 years $12 million, the price is not too bad for the Warriors to take on as a nice quality center. They have also been known to develop centers quite well, and the former Monteverde star can become even more than they hope.
“On top of Sharpe, they gain a protected first-round pick that will roll over if unfulfilled. Once the Curry-Green era fades away, they have picks in reserve to rebuild if needed.”
Kuminga to Play on QO?
As for the Nets, who have reportedly shown interest in acquiring Kuminga, the addition of the Congolese forward will further their ongoing youth movement.
“By adding the size of Jonathan Kuminga, this allows them to better rim protect, which has been an issue, and thus let their extensive guard play run and gun. Ego Demin, Nolan Traore, and Cam Thomas may be a young, fun dynamic core of guards.
“As for what this also does, it moves Sharpe and provides extra security of keeping Nic Claxton. Claxton has not quite been the Jarrett Allen replacement that the Nets have wished for, but he is still a very solid center.”
Kuminga is reportedly prepared to accept his one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer, thereby becoming an unrestricted free agent next year. If he chooses to do so, the Warriors will essentially lose him for nothing in the 2026 offseason.
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Kuminga prefers to sign the QO so he can control his own destiny, rather than being at the Warriors’ mercy.
“He wants the flexibility to choose his future,” Siegel wrote on August 27. “With a return to Golden State looking likely, Kuminga is prepared to sacrifice money if it means he can earn his freedom to select his next team in free agency.”