Jonathan Kuminga has been one of the central figures in trade rumors around the league this offseason. While several teams have shown an interest in the forward, very few offers have materialized into a potential trade discussion.
At this stage, some speculation has suggested that the Golden State Warriors may choose to retain him. But this would go against the team’s current direction.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has emphasized that the forward is not expected to receive more playing time, primarily because he doesn’t factor into the team’s plans. On the same note, the 22-year-old also has aspirations of embracing a bigger role, with dreams of becoming an All-Star one day.
These varying opinions have effectively signaled the need for Kuminga to exit the Bay Area, with several landing spots popping up on the horizon. Among these destinations, the Sacramento Kings have recently indicated an interest in acquiring the forward.
The Kings are making a couple of changes to their roster this offseason. With players like DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk on the trading block, Sacramento needs a talented scorer to shoulder some of the offensive duties with Zach LaVine.
In this regard, the 22-year-old has emerged as a likely target, and as per ABC10’s Matt George, the Kings have been quite engaged in these talks. To that end, George also revealed the structure of Sacramento’s trade package for Kuminga. He tweeted:
“I’m hearing the Kings are attempting to use pieces like Devin Carter & Dario Saric, and even draft compensation to Golden State, as part of a Kuminga deal.”
This trade package certainly presents an interesting outlook, as Devin Carter and Dario Saric are two role players being mentioned in this package.
Saric, who was recently acquired in a trade sending Jonas Valanciunas to the Denver Nuggets, has been a fairly productive player throughout his career. Last season saw very little action from him, as he only appeared in 16 games and recorded an average of 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Devin Carter is a point guard coming off his rookie year. He averaged 3.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while playing in 36 games throughout the season.
When considering Kuminga’s averages of 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, neither Saric nor Carter makes up for the difference. Additionally, the 22-year-old forward’s potential to be a star has to be factored in, especially with his upcoming contract extension.
George’s report mentions that pieces like Carter and Saric would be a part of the deal, along with draft compensation. At the moment, the Kings have 14 draft picks in their war chest, with roughly nine of them being first-round picks.
When considering that neither Malik Monk nor Keegan Murray would be included in this trade, the Warriors would require significant draft compensation to pay any attention to Sacramento’s trade offer.
Meanwhile, other teams present far more enticing offers. With trade proposals from the Miami Heat garnering more attention, it seems likely that, in the event of a trade, Kuminga would be headed to the Eastern Conference.
