Jonathan Kuminga‘s recent ascent has validated the Golden State Warriors‘ reluctance to include him in the failed Pascal Siakam trade talks.
Kuminga is now on Stephen Curry‘s level as far as trade talks are concerned — untouchable.
Unless a team overwhelms the Warriors with a too-good-to-pass-up deal, Kuminga would stay in The Bay, according to Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto.
“The Warriors are pleased with the growth of Jonathan Kuminga this season and are reluctant to trade him, I’m told. Theoretically, it would take a package involving an All-Star player or an overpay of draft picks for Golden State to even consider trading him,” Scotto reported in the Hoopshype podcast on January 26.
The 21-year-old Kuminga has been a revelation over the Warriors’ last five games. He has scored 20 or more points during that span, averaging 25.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists. His efficiency has gone up, shooting 65.4% from the field and 56.3% from deep.
“He had a phenomenal night again,” Kerr said of Kuminga after the third-year forward dropped a career-high 31 points in the tough 134-133 Warriors loss to the Sacramento Kings on January 25. “Just a string of great games from him. He’s really um earning the trust of his teammates and he’s getting better and better.”
Kuminga has reminded Kerr about a former Phoenix Suns player who thrived in the Steve Nash era during Kerr’s tenure as general manager there.
“Steve Kerr has used the Shawn Marion comparison before from when Steve was in Phenix as a GM there. The way Marion just impacted the game in all those subtle slashing type ways, and Kerr thinks Kuminga could be that type of player,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater told Scotto in the Hoopshype podcast.
Stephen Curry’s All-Star Starter Streak Ends
For the first time in 10 years, Curry will not start in the midseason classic.
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who dissed Curry after winning their earlier matchups, and Dallas Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic, got the starting nods in this year’s All-Star Game in Indiana.
“You got two guys who are playing amazing this year — Luka and Shai,” Curry told reporters after the loss. “So, I’ve been around doing this for a very long time and the fact that it’s a talking point I’m not [a starter] after nine healthy years like those two guys are playing amazing. They deserve it and hopefully, I’ll be there in Indiana in whatever capacity but to still be doing it at this stage,
it’s always a challenge, you never take for granted the fact of how hard it is to be recognized in that way every year.”
Steve Kerr Explains Why He Did Not Call Timeout in Final Play
The Warriors came up empty in their final possession as Curry committed a turnover which led to their heartbreaking loss to the Kings.
Kerr later explained why the Warriors did not call a timeout.
“I trust [them]. These guys have been together for so long, I really prefer the scramble situations at the end of games, where a defense can’t get set up and make subs,” Kerr told reporters after the game. “This is one that keeps you up at night. But we got to the picture we wanted, we got the Steph-Draymond [Green] pick-and-roll at the top. We had good spacing.
I thought maybe we were going to get Draymond on the roll with the spacing on either side and get a good shot because they doubled Steph. But he didn’t, he just couldn’t get it to Draymond in that situation. They did a good job of doubling him, and when the play’s over, then you’re like … Yeah, could have taken a timeout.
It’s always a difficult decision down the stretch, but I’ve seen those guys convert in that situation a million times, and, like I said, we got to the picture we wanted eventually. Just didn’t pan out.”
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Warriors Add 1 Player to Steph Curry as ‘Untouchables’ in Trade Talks