Draymond Green was admittedly “salty” that the Warriors couldn’t land free agent Paul George via a sign-and-trade scenario this offseason. It turns out Golden State nearly did pull off the big acquisition.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Warriors originally agreed to include Jonathan Kuminga in certain trade packages for George but ultimately pulled the fourth-year forward off the table, leading to talks breaking down. The report added that Kuminga was the only youngster on the Warriors the Clippers viewed as a potential building block.
“The Clippers had serious interest in Warriors fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga and would have likely done the deal if he was included along with the first-round pick, but team sources say he was never truly available. The two teams did discuss scenarios that included Kuminga, team sources said, but the Warriors later pulled him off the table,” Amick wrote.
Once the talks broke down, the Clippers pivoted to signing role players such as Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn, Kevin Porter Jr. and Nicolas Batum, a decision that helped them stay under the second apron of the luxury tax.
One wonders if the Warriors may have been better off trading Kuminga for George, who ultimately signed with the 76ers as a free agent. Golden State did not sign Kuminga to a contract extension before the Oct. 21 deadline and has played him only 23 minutes per game since the start of the 2024-25 season.
After starting the first three games of the season, the Congolese forward has been relegated to a bench role, a decision that head coach Steve Kerr seems determined to stick with. During Wednesday’s 118-112 win over the Celtics, Kuminga played only 18 minutes and did not see the floor in the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter.
If the Warriors continue to use Kuminga sparingly, his trade value will likely plummet. As such, the franchise may have missed an opportunity by not moving him when teams such as the Clippers coveted him. With Stephen Curry turning 37 in March, the Warriors must act fast if they intend to give him the tools to pursue his fifth NBA title.
While the Warriors are off to an impressive 7-1 start, oddsmakers don’t expect their regular-season exploits to carry forward into the postseason. Golden State has the 12th-shortest odds to win it all, per ESPN Bet.
