Having been out of Steve Kerr's rotation in eight of the past nine games, it seems a fait accompli that the Golden State Warriors will trade Jonathan Kuminga once the young forward is eligible to be moved again on January 15.
However, ESPN's Tim Bontemps has painted the picture of a potential nightmare scenario where Kuminga actually remains with the Warriors through the deadline and for the rest of this season.
Warriors could keep Jonathan Kuminga according to Tim Bontemps
Speaking during an episode of the Warriors Stock Report on Tuesday, Bontemps outlined a situation where the franchise could keep Kuminga until the offseason despite his complete lack of role on the team right now.
"It still would not surprise me if we’re sitting here doing a show on February 5th or 6th and Jonathan Kuminga is still on the Warriors, and we’re stuck in this endless loop for another four, five, six months until the summer time," Bontemps said.
Bontemps' reasoning is that Golden State might be able to pull off a bigger, more impactful trade in the summer, rather than rushing into a deal before the February 5 deadline that might not necessarily lift them into contention.
Still, the prospect of Kuminga remaining with the Warriors beyond the deadline is one most fans simply won't believe possible. In fact, many would regard it more likely that the 23-year-old has played his last game with the franchise, particularly after Kuminga was the only available player not utilized by Kerr during Monday's 120-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Bontemps' colleague Anthony Slater did push back on the notion that Kuminga could stay beyond the deadline, predicting that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office will indeed move the former seventh overall pick before February 5.
If Bontemps' scenario did play out, that would be a nightmare given Golden State are currently getting zero out of a player making $22.5 million this season. Even if there's no deal that brings back the kind of star player the Warriors probably need to be a major threat in the Western Conference, surely they can at least flip Kuminga for another piece that will play meaningful minutes in the rotation?
Between Kuminga and veteran sharpshooter Buddy Hield, the Warriors have over $30 million in salary to use, along with essentially all their future draft capital. With that kind of flexibility, it's still incredibly difficult to see Kuminga remaining with the franchise for the second-half of the season.