Kings offer Warriors dynamic guard in potential Jonathan Kuminga trade

Should Golden State explore this?
Minnesota Timberwolves v Golden State Warriors - Game Four
Minnesota Timberwolves v Golden State Warriors - Game Four | Ezra Shaw/GettyImages

The Golden State Warriors are yet to find a resolution on the future of Jonathan Kuminga after day two of free agency, but we do have an indication of what the franchise could possibly get in a sign-and-trade for the young forward.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, there remain four teams interested in a potential move for Kuminga -- the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings.

The Warriors could land Malik Monk in a Jonathan Kuminga trade

There's been little confirmation until now of what might actually be on the table for the Warriors to acquire in a Kuminga trade, but now we know that the franchise could land dynamic guard Malik Monk if a deal with the Kings were to go down.

According to Fischer, the Kings would be eager to include Monk in a deal after previous reports that they were considering moving him to the Detroit Pistons in a sign-and-trade for Dennis Schroder. Sacramento ended up signing Schroder outright to a three-year, $45 million, trading Jonas Valancuinas to the Denver Nuggets for former Warrior Dario Saric in order to make the finances work.

"Sources say that Sacramento, meanwhile, would be interested in including Malik Monk in any outgoing trade package, but nothing substantial has materialized with the Warriors," Fischer wrote.

It's unclear how much interest Golden State would have in Monk who makes $18.8 million next season and nearly $42 million across the following two years. The 27-year old averaged a career-high 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game last season, shooting 43.9% from the floor but just 32.5% from 3-point range.

Monk could become a third scorer and shot-creator behind Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, yet there's still questions over whether it would be worth giving up Kuminga for a player who likely wouldn't be a starter.

Monk started 45 of his 65 regular season games last season, but has otherwise been a bench player throughout his career, including in 2022-23 and 2023-24 where he finished fifth and second in Sixth Man of the Year voting respectively.

Acquiring Monk would undoubtedly play a factor in whether Golden State would pursue a move for Damian Lillard after he was shockingly waived by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. The Warriors have already reached out to Lillard in the wake of his Milwaukee departure, with the 9x All-Star set to become an unrestricted free agent where he can choose his next destination amid recovery from a torn achilles injury.