Al Horford was seen as a major free agency steal for the Golden State Warriors this offseason, but while the veteran center has already delivered impact for the franchise, he might not prove the most important facet from the summer's proceedings.
That mantle may in fact go to Jonathan Kuminga, something that few would have predicted even a week ago, yet is hard to deny based on early evidence. The Warriors eventually signed Kuminga to a two-year, $48.5 million contract with a second year team option at the start of the month, with that deal now stunningly looking like a team-friendly one given the early production from the young forward.
Jonathan Kuminga might prove Warriors' biggest free agency steal
Golden State certainly used the leverage of restricted free agency to get Kuminga back on a deal that was on their terms, yet most thought it was simply a trade chip and that the 23-year-old's role and opportunity under Steve Kerr wouldn't correlate with a player making $22.5 million this season.
That's right to some degree -- Kuminga's role certainly doesn't correlate to a player making $22.5 million. Yet instead of being far less than that, the former seventh overall pick is actually playing like someone who should be making far more.
Kuminga has played the third-most minutes on the team thus far, falling only one minute behind Stephen Curry and six minutes behind Jimmy Butler. His defensive responsibilities have been notable, having been tasked with guarding the likes of Luka Doncic and Ja Morant as the team's primary point-of-attack stopper. Despite this, Kuminga is also far and away the Warriors' best rebounder, pulling in 32 so far which is 10 more than the next best (Draymond Green with 22).
Offensively, he's turning into the sort of third option Golden State desperately needed as someone now not only capable of getting his own when required, but more importantly playing effectively alongside the veteran core of Curry, Butler and Green.
Kuminga is averaging a career-high 18.0 points and 4.0 assists per game, having shot an impressive 58.1% from the floor and 42.9% from 3-point range. He's also got to the line 20 times, making 16 which shows another vastly improved area of his game.
This responsibility and production is the hallmarks of a $30+ million player, leaving Kuminga's contract as a major steal for the Warriors if this can continue moving forward. It also has the double-edged effect of drastically improving Kuminga's trade value when he becomes eligible to be moved on January 15, not that the front office will be considering that should this level of improvement maintain.