Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer recently voiced his belief that when we talk about the Golden State Warriors' potential interest in acquiring Lauri Markkanen, it's likely that the organization is hoping Jonathan Kuminga eventually becomes a version of who Markkanen currently is as a player.
This is a pretty apt analysis, I would say. While it feels obvious that any contending team with a need on the wing like the Warriors would want a guy like Lauri on their squad, I do also think there's an internal hope, even if not a strong belief, that Kuminga can morph into the type of star Markkanen is.
As Fischer also notes, conditions are currently such that if Golden State were to make a serious push for Markkanen, their trade package they propose to the Utah Jazz would likely have to include both Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski in order to get the deal done. But at the same time, he says, the Warriors are probably just hoping Kuminga works out for them, rather than having to deal him away.
Obviously, this is an understandable position to have, based on the offseason you just spent tirelessly working on a proposal to re-sign Jonathan. If you're the Warriors, you're certainly holding on to hope that JK can become that type of game-changing three-and-D guy like Markkanen is, but I would question how realistic that circumstance becoming reality is.
The Warriors want Kuminga to become a Markkanen type player
Heading into the 2025-26 season, there's a reason Lauri is one of the most desirable targets for so many teams around the league. He's a top-tier floor-spacer who is versatile and brings a high feel for the game to the court as well. Markkanen is the type of guy who would be both a seamless fit and a total game-changing addition for many squads, not unlike how Cameron Johnson was viewed in the same light up until his eventual trade to Denver this past summer.
Working out a deal for him might not be Golden State's first priority at this point in time, but it may very well be what they eventually need to do. I think that giving up both Kuminga and Podziemski in a potential trade would be far from the worst scenario for the Warriors.
Those two guys are each valuable in their own right for different reasons, but I don't think their combined value equals or exceeds Markkanen's by any stretch. It's reasonable to want to see things play out with JK before making another pivot, but I for one am not expecting the type of full-on breakout from Kuminga that Fischer mentions.
It's true that Lauri didn't truly have his breakout season until year six of his career in 2022-23. So while it's not completely out of the question for Jonathan, I wouldn't bank on it happening. If the Warriors don't see early season progress from Kuminga but still believe their championship window is open, they would be wise to throw some serious offers out to Utah.