Golden State Warriors could trade Jonathan Kuminga for high draft pick

The next domino to fall for the Golden State Warriors could be one of their youngsters.Per DraftExpress and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, the 2022 NBA champions could be looking to flip Jonathan Kuminga for a lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft.

After a disappointing end during the playoffs, could Jonathan Kuminga have played his last game for the Golden State Warriors?

“Sources tell ESPN the Warriors are also exploring the option of acquiring a high draft pick in exchange for a young prospect such as Jonathan Kuminga,” Givony wrote in his latest mock draft.

Golden State already owns the 19th overall selection in the draft, but this year’s lottery projects to be one of the best ever. Packaging their first-round pick with one of their young talents could be a way for the Warriors to snag a quality win-now piece.

On the other hand, Kuminga is a solid 20-year-old wing that has shown a ton of two-way promise and moving him too soon could prove to be a mistake down the line. While his box numbers (9.9 points, 1.9 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game) don’t jump off the page, the G-League Ignite alum made tremendous strides on the defensive end this season.

Taking after his teammate and mentor Draymond Green, Kuminga did a little bit of everything on that end of the floor, using his size and strength to help fortify the Warriors interior defense, and even defending with smaller guards on the perimeter when called upon to do so.

While dealing Kuminga for draft equity makes sense from a long-term perspective, Golden State should, and likely will, consider potential trades to land another All-Star level player. Many league personnel expect this off-season to be one of the most eventful in recent memory, and a lot of big names could be on the move.

With an abundance of young talent and quality draft equity at their disposal, the Warriors have more than enough assets to consider an even bigger splash.

‘J.K’ has already drawn some league-wide interest and many teams have contacted the Warriors to inquire about his availability this summer. Now, it appears as though a Kuminga trade is officially on the table and Golden State will have to carefully weigh their options if they are serious about restructuring their roster.