Jonathan Kuminga seems to have found himself back in the same situation he was in last season with the Golden State Warriors. Once in the starting lineup, and he's now coming off the bench with the Warriors playing better basketball. That has led to the trade talk growing again, and at this point, it will be hard to steer away from it, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“The chatter on another trade front is equally inevitable no matter how much some of Jonathan Kuminga's teammates — Jimmy Butler foremost among them — have tried to rally around the fifth-year swingman,” Stein wrote. “He's not even eligible to be moved until Jan. 15, but it's no secret that the Warriors' hardball stance all summer with Kuminga in the sides' restricted free agency saga was adopted with the intention to ensure that the 23-year-old was re-signed to a tradeable contract.”
Kuminga and the Warriors took all summer to come to an agreement, and this is where they ended, with him earning $22.5 million this season and a $24.3 million team option for next season. If the Warriors don't see the fit working, they can move on from him in two months.
The question is, who will want him?
“He is who he is, even though he's on the younger side,” an East scout said via ESPN's Tim Bontemps. “He has looked better, and has been trying to fit in, but he still falls back into his old habits.
“Who is going to take him? And are they going to move him for stuff they don't want, or just wait? It's very hard to find a trade that makes sense for everyone.”
It's uncertain what the next move for Kuminga and the Warriors will be, but while he's on the team, the only thing he can do is try to fit in and produce. He's shown that he can be a key piece, but the inconsistency has been the main problem.
