The market for Jonathan Kuminga is starting to emerge ahead of the start of free agency, potentially opening up a range of sign-and-trade scenarios for the Golden State Warriors to consider over the next week.
The Miami Heat's interest in Kuminga is starting to grow louder after they missed out on Kevin Durant, but it's another team's reported fascination with the young forward that could most benefit the Warriors.
The Kings reportedly have interest in Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State's pacific rival, the Sacramento Kings, are the latest team to join the Heat as being linked to Kuminga. Sacramento will monitor the 22-year-old's free agency market, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic following the first-round of the draft on Wednesday where the Kings traded into the 24th pick and took Nique Clifford out of Colorado State.
"The Kings are among the teams that have interest in Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga and will be monitoring his market when his restricted free agency begins," Amick wrote.
This is good news for the Warriors given the Kings arguably have more intriguing options to potentially relinquish in a sign-and-trade, with the Heat seemingly with little to realistically offer beyond a reunion with 2022 All-Star Andrew Wiggins.
Amick also reports that the Kings are "open for business when it comes to discussing the various possibilities with their roster," while also only mentioning Domantas Sabonis as a true building block for the team.
This could potentially open the door for Golden State to inquire on a dream trade for former fourth overall pick Keegan Murray. Colleague Jack Simone proposed the idea of a Murray and Jonathan Valancuinas for Kuminga trade here nearly a month ago, yet that hypothetical may suddenly be real and in play if Sacramento are truly interested in the former seventh overall pick.
The thinking is fairly simple -- Kuminga has higher upside and could therefore be a star piece that helps lift the Kings out their current obscurity, while Murray's elite 3-point shooting at 6'8" would be a far better immediate fit with the Warriors veteran trio of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Murray has stagnated somewhat after an excellent rookie season where he averaged 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds on a blistering 41.1% from 3-point range on 6.3 attempts per game. The 24-year-old's averages have remained fairly similar over the last two years, but his 3-point shooting has taken a sharp dip.
Still, it's this stagnation that could make Sacramento consider parting ways ahead of a possible contract extension. There'd also be optimism that within the Golden State system and with the gravity of Curry and the playmaking of Butler and Green, that Murray's 3-point percentage would rise back to north of 40%.
It's worth noting that Amick stated Kuminga is "unlikely to come their (Kings) way," but if there's a legitimate way for the Warriors to flip the young forwards then it should absolutely be explored over the next week.