The Golden State Warriors may finally have found a suitor for Jonathan Kuminga, although a popular trade scenario misses a key point.
After the initial free agency and trade moves, most of the headlines this NBA offseason have been dominated by restricted free agency.
Jonathan Kuminga, Josh Giddey, Quentin Grimes, and Cam Thomas are all yet to reach agreements with their current teams.
After adding Jimmy Butler last season, Kuminga has become a bit redundant on the Golden State Warriors’ roster, and it has been reported that he could be sent to the Chicago Bulls in a swap for Giddey.
Kuminga has made it clear that he does not want to play for the Warriors and he does not believe that the team has his best interests at heart. With a decreased role before the postseason last year, it’s clear that he is expendable, and there is no chance that he will end his career in The Bay.
The Warriors have said that they want to repair any broken bridges, but Golden State’s actions speak louder than words. They have long been inserted in Giddey, and there is a clear path for him to join the Warriors as soon as this summer.
“Golden State’s interest in Giddey is genuine,” wrote insider Jake Fischer. “I’m told that the Warriors continue to value Giddey’s skillset and have communicated their interest to the Australian point guard’s representation. There simply does not appear to be a feasible pathway to such a trade.”
While there is no immediate “pathway” to a trade, the Bulls and Warriors could easily sign their free agents and then simply swap them, assuming the money works out.
Giddey is a talented, pass-first point guard who could thrive next to Stephen Curry, and the Bulls could use a high-level scorer next to Coby White and Matas Buzelis. On paper, a straight-up swap makes sense.
However, the Warriors would be ignoring a key area of need if they were to add Giddey from Chicago.
Between Brandin Podziemski, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and free agent De’Anthony Melton, who the Warriors have been linked to, Golden State does not have a shortage of facilitators.
While Giddey would be a positive addition, the Warriors do not have any sort of true, proven center on the roster. Draymond Green can and has thrived in small-ball lineups, but size and rebounding are critical to the Warriors’ title hopes.
The Warriors have been linked to Al Horford, although he is aging and contemplating retirement. If Golden State is to make a deal with the Bulls, adding center Nikola Vucevic makes infinitely more sense than Giddey. While he is far from a defensive anchor, he can space the floor and rebound at a high level, and could operate alongside Green, rounding out an excellent roster in The Bay.
Adding Giddey would be a luxury, but before the Warriors can add to their wishlist, they need to fill a gap at center, which they could easily do in a deal with the Bulls, just not the deal they’re rumored to have interest in.
