The New Orleans Pelicans are viewed by many as an ideal trade partner for the Golden State Warriors if they're looking to move on from Jonathan Kuminga prior to February's mid-season deadline.
Fortunately for the Warriors, the chances of pulling off a deal with the Pelicans may have just strengthened thanks to another major injury concern for star forward Zion Williamson.
Zion Williamson injury could make Jonathan Kuminga trade more realistic
According to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday, Williamson will miss a significant period with an adductor strain. The former No. 1 overall pick played against the Warriors on Saturday night, recording 25 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Pelicans' 104-96 defeat at Chase Center.
This is now the second soft tissue injury Williamson has suffered this season. At this point, after such an injury history that saw him play more than 30 games just twice in his first six years, New Orleans should simply be looking at moving on from a player that's still deemed their franchise cornerstone.
However, moving off Williamson for anything of reasonable value is going to be nigh on impossible for the Pelicans leading up to the trade deadline. The same can be said for currently injured guards Dejounte Murray and former Warrior Jordan Poole.
Williamson returned Nov. 19 after missing just over two weeks with a hamstring injury, playing in five of the Pelicans’ past seven games before sustaining this adductor strain -- which will sideline him for a much longer period. https://t.co/EtxDvruVEZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 2, 2025
That means that if the Pelicans want to find some sort of valuable future draft capital to build upon impressive rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears, there only real avenue of doing so is by trading Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones.
This in itself presents an opportunity for Golden State, particularly given their aging core makes their future picks incredibly tantalizing to rival teams. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints did mention the Pelicans within a report on Kuminga's future last week, so there's already some smoke behind a potential move.
The Warriors are going to be after an upgrade from Kuminga, something that Murphy could certainly provide as an athletic, smooth-shooting forward who's shown growth in individual shot-creation and playmaking in the last 12 months.
Their contracts are also incredibly similar, meaning Golden State could be just a raft of picks away from acquiring someone that would theoretically fit perfectly with their veteran core. How many picks New Orleans would want, and how many the Warriors are willing to give up, is another significant debate entirely.
Jones might be the lesser of the two options for Golden State, but he may also be more realistic and require less draft capital. The 27-year-old would address the perimeter defense issues that have plagued the Warriors so far this season, while also being a 36.5% 3-point shooter on his career.
While there's still a long way to go, this Williamson injury only further devastates a Pelicans team that sits last in the Western Conference and could be growing in desperation ahead of the deadline.