The feeling was that the Golden State Warriors’ time as one of the best teams in the NBA is over. Well, hold on. The Warriors have begun their 2024-25 campaign 8-and-2, one of the best records in the league. That has raised hopes of a resurgence. It has also prompted conversations on whether their front office should rope in players to go all out for one last championship push with Stephen Curry still in his prime. They should “wait and slow down,” feel former NBA champions Trevor Ariza and Matt Barnes.
Despite losing Klay Thompson, new entrants Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson have positively impacted the Warriors’ early-season success. Now, names like Zach LaVine, Brandon Ingram, and Jimmy Butler have been floated as possible trade targets for Golden State, in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga.
Barnes and Ariza think they should wait till the February deadline and not hastily go for a home run trade. They admitted to not expecting the team to be this good while insisting that it is too early to make a judgment. Ariza added on All The Smoke Unplugged:
“I will wait. I will slow down. Playing the way they play, with that culture it’s a different culture. Guys that’s out there right now I don’t see how they fit in that space. So I would slow down.”
Barnes concurred: “Slow down, pump the brakes.”
To start with, Kuminga’s skills can’t be discounted. The 6-foot-8 forward has been a crucial piece for the Warriors as a secondary scorer. He is averaging 14.0 points and 4.3 rebounds on 47.7% shooting from the field. His minutes have slightly decreased as he has been shifted back to the bench.
Ariza felt that trading the 22-year-old Kuminga now is “going to be a problem” for the Warriors in the future.
The idea of trading a young star like him would be to get the best out of the years that Curry has left. However, Barnes and Ariza believe that the Dubs front office should not tinker with the tandem of the team by trading for a player who does not fit into the culture.
A potential trade package that involves Kuminga would be for a handful of stars. TheShockNews of names that Barnes and Ariza discussed included Butler, Lavine, Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Jerami Grant. The players did not impress both the NBA stars.
Butler, for instance, hasn’t performed great in the early stages of the season. The six-time All-Star is averaging 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists on 47.8% shooting from the field.
Butler’s production is indeed similar to what Kuminga has done for the Warriors. However, Kuminga finds ways to impact the game without the ball as well. All the players mentioned in the potential trade list need the ball to have a sway in the game.
Golden State’s offensive philosophy revolves around movement and fluidity. Not every player in the NBA can succeed in their system.
Kuminga still has plenty of potential
Kuminga is far from perfect. But he has all the tools to become one of the top players in the NBA.
His 6-foot-8 stature at 210 lbs enables him to absorb contact and finish over defenders while attacking the basket. One of the key areas he needs to improve is his three-point shooting. He is shooting only 34% from long range.
He is still a raw prospect who needs to work a lot on his fundamentals. The plus is that he’s young, which is a primary reason why the Warriors have been reluctant to include him in any trades.
Golden State have negotiated trades for a few stars in the past, including Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz and Paul George from the LA Clippers. But these trade talks stalled due to the Warriors’ refusal to include Kuminga in the package.
The team would only trade Kuminga for a proven player who can help them win. And, with the way the current trade market is set, no player fits the bill for Golden State.
Then again, as long as the Warriors are winning there’s no urgency either. The front office can play the waiting game rather than make any ill-advised moves.