The Golden State Warriors have made one thing clear behind the scenes: they have no real interest in the Los Angeles Lakers’ reported package for Jonathan Kuminga.
NBA insider Evan Sidery reported that the Lakers and Warriors recently held brief trade discussions centered around Kuminga.
The Lakers offer, as floated, included the expiring contracts of Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber, along with a 2032 second-round pick. According to Sidery, the Warriors showed no legitimate interest in those assets, and it is not hard to see why.
From a pure salary-matching perspective, the framework technically works. Vincent is in the final year of his deal and will make $11.5 million this season. Kleber is also on an expiring contract, earning about $11 million. Stack those together, add a future second, and the math checks out. The logic does not.
Kuminga is 23 years old and still viewed internally by the Warriors as a high-upside piece. This season, he is averaging 12.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field. The three-point shooting sits at 32.1%, but his value has never been linked to perimeter efficiency.
He is an explosive athlete, a versatile defender, and one of the few young players on the Warriors’ roster capable of creating rim pressure without a play being drawn up for him. He is also in the first year of a two-year, $46.8 million contract, earning $22.5 million this season.
Compare that profile to what the Lakers are offering. Kleber is 33 years old and averaging just 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 32.5% from the field and 23.5% from distance. Vincent, 29, is averaging 4.7 points, 1.3 assists, and 0.9 rebounds while shooting 33.0% from the field and 36.0% from three-point range.
Draft capital is where this conversation really breaks down. A 2032 second-round pick does nothing for a franchise that still believes it can compete in the present. If the Lakers were willing to give up the 2030 first-round pick, the discussion might at least become interesting. Even then, it is debatable whether that alone would be enough to justify moving a 23-year-old wing with real upside. The 2032 pick is unlikely to be moved this season at any cost, and league executives know it.
Context matters for both sides. The Lakers are fifth in the West at 27–17 and are actively searching for long, athletic wings who can defend and finish next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
And Kuminga fits that need cleanly. That explains the interest.
The Warriors are in a different place. At 26–21 and sitting eighth, they are trying to maximize what remains of Stephen Curry’s championship window. With Jimmy Butler sidelined by an ACL injury, Golden State is actively searching for impact talent. Trading Kuminga for expiring role players does not help them chase another title.
This is why the Warriors have shut the door quickly. The Lakers’ offer makes sense on a spreadsheet. From a basketball and timeline standpoint, it does not come close.
