The Golden State Warriors, in their blowout win over the Chicago Bulls, made the bold choice to sit Jonathan Kuminga, even in a game in which the team was down a number of their most impactful players.
Therefore, it appears as though we have entered fraught territory yet again in the Kuminga saga, meaning that all eyes should now turn toward determining what the trade market is for the dynamic young forward. The potential return, however, could prove to be seriously disappointing.
According to a mock trade drawn up by Zach Roberts, a Charlotte Hornets' writer for Sports Illustrated, a trade between Golden State and Charlotte could look something like this:
Considering the hefty price that the Warriors were asking this past offseason for Kuminga, accepting this sort of package would represent a rather shocking fall from grace. Yet, given the way that Kuminga has struggled this season, and his apparent continued clashes with the coaching staff, will Golden State have any other options?
What could the return for Jonathan Kuminga even look like at this point?
On the surface, this package might seem relatively shocking. To be clear, were Golden State to accept any semblance of this type of return for Kuminga, it would be with the acknowledgement that they need more consistent role players in order to put together a genuinely championship-contending roster.
Frankly, that's all that Green, Plumlee and Connaughton would represent. Without even mentioning that the Warriors would need to include Hield, it's a far cry from their reported asking price of a promising young player and a first-round pick this past offseason.
Yet, Kuminga's inability to prove his trade value around the league, and carve out a regular and consistent role in the team's rotation, could force them to settle for something far below their original demands.
While Kuminga began the season excellently, he quickly started to show some of the gaps in his game that limited his effectiveness last season. Moreover, since he returned from a lengthy absence due to knee inflammation, he has been abysmal. In the four games he's played since he returned, he's averaged 7.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and two assists while shooting a horrid 29.6% from the field.
Everyone knows Kuminga is a better player than that, but the question remains. When will he prove it?
Realistically, the return for Kuminga lies somewhere between these two poles: a moderate package featuring a player that can become a major contributor to the roster as the year goes on. Yet, as Kuminga continues to fail to resurrect his trade value (and is, in fact, actively harming it much of the time), Golden State may have a more difficult task than they anticipated getting the package that they originally envisioned.