Warriors swap former top 10 picks in compelling trade pitch with East playoff team

The Golden State Warriors have remained patient with Jonathan Kuminga through his career to date, clearly holding belief in his talent and potential even if they weren't willing to meet his demands from a financial standpoint prior to the October 21 extension deadline.

Kuminga's stature as an impending free agent does leave him as a potential trade candidate ahead of the February 6 deadline, but most believe the Warriors still won't move the 22-year-old for anything less than a bonafide All-Star in return.

Trade proposal sees Warriors flip former top 10 picks

The idea of Golden State trading Kuminga for another young player is one scarcely mentioned, yet that's just what Colin Keane of the Sporting News has done in a recent proposal involving the Indiana Pacers.

According to Keane, the Warriors and Pacers could orchestrate a deal involving Kuminga and young guard Benedict Mathurin, with a first-round pick also heading Indiana's way in the process.

"One would think that Indiana Pacers shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin is considered almost untouchable by Indiana's front office, but the Warriors might be able to tempt the Pacers by dangling Jonathan Kuminga's expiring contract and a first-round pick in front of them," Keane wrote.

After an injury cut short his 2023-24 that included the entirety of Indiana's run to the Eastern Conference Finals, Mathurin has made a strong start to this campaign in averaging 18.8 points and 6.4 rebounds on an impressive 52.1%shooting from the floor and 43.5% from 3-point range.

It's unlikely that Indiana would be interested in a Mathurin-for-Kuminga swap, but it is worth noting that the Pacers did previously have interest in the Golden State forward according to The Athletic's Anthony Slater on a recent episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast.

From a Warrior perspective it would make some sense to swap the seventh pick from 2021 for the sixth pick in 2022, giving them over a year to have a look at Mathurin before having to decide whether or not to pay him big dollars (they could also extend him ahead of next season as they chose not to with Kuminga).

Mathurin may be the better player right now, but Kuminga brings a more unique skillset that Golden State otherwise lacks in terms of athleticism and dominance at the rim. Mathurin is athletic in his own right, but he's a shooting guard/small forward of which the Warriors are already stocked with on the current roster.

It's an intriguing deal for both teams, yet one where they may ultimately both say no. Both teams could be active ahead of the trade deadline, particularly if the Pacers' underwhelming start continues as they're 5-7 through 12 games.