Getty Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
After being bounced in the second round of the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors will likely look to shake up their roster a bit this summer. That doesn’t necessarily mean moving away from the core pieces like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green.
However, a potential move, like the one proposed by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, could involve pieces like Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga. Two players that were thought to be future building blocks for the Dubs.
Buckley proposed the following deal, between Golden State and the Toronto Raptors.
Warriors Receive: O.G. Anunoby and Chris Boucher
Raptors Receive: Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga
The selling point for the Warriors would be Anunoby’s ability to defend multiple positions, something that they missed during their series against the Los Angeles Lakers. There were points where Steve Kerr was asking Moses Moody to try and defend LeBron James, the team just wasn’t deep enough on that end of the floor.
“In both of Golden State’s playoff series, its lack of length and athleticism on the wings was glaring. The Warriors could address both voids and shore up their suddenly leaky defense (14th in efficiency, down from second, per NBA.com) by making a major move for O.G. Anunoby. If he isn’t the best on-ball defender in the Association, he’s at least in the conversation. He has enough length to bother bigs and enough quickness to keep in front of guards. He could handle Golden State’s toughest defensive assignment more often than not.”
Anunoby is coming off of a great defensive season, being named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team. Toronto’s No. 3 was not only effective on the defensive end, but also put up solid scoring numbers in 67 starts for the Raptors. He averaged 16.8 points per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc.
The “3-and-D” skillset would make him an excellent fit with the perimeter-centric Warriors.
Jonathan Kuminga’s Future With Warriors is Cloudy
Kuminga’s name being thrown into Buckley’s mock trade isn’t an outrageous pitch. The 20-year-old forward reportedly is looking for a bigger role with the Warriors next year, and will look to force his way out if he doesn’t get more time.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Kuminga’s representatives are expected to meet with the organization to discuss his future with the team.
“The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say,” Slater and Charania wrote. “Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more.”
Kuminga’s coach, Kerr, discussed the report during a recent radio interview with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibbs.”
“I think he’s frustrated that he didn’t play but I would hope anybody in his situation would be frustrated,” Kerr told the hosts on Tuesday. “We had a great conversation with Bob Myers & we’re excited about JK coming back next year. I think he’s excited to be coming back.”
Kuminga appeared in 67 regular-season games for the Dubs this year, playing about 20.8 minutes each time. He averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc.
Jordan Poole Refutes Trade Rumors, Says He’ll Be With Warriors Next Year
While Kuminga may be looking for an exit this offseason, that isn’t the case for Poole, who was also involved in the mock deal.
During a recent interview with The Ringer’s Logan Murdock, Poole explained that there’s no reason he shouldn’t be on the roster come next season.
“I don’t know why I wouldn’t be [back],” Poole told Murdock. “It wasn’t a bad year. I mean, career highs in two categories. I was able to make history with Klay and Steph. My first game-winner. It was a lot of good things that happened this season. It wasn’t a bad season. Yes, I’m in the fabric. Yes, I belong here in this organization, bridging the gap. And I’m a young guy who was drafted here. We won a championship last year, and we have another chance to do it again. And I don’t know why anybody else would feel otherwise. I don’t think anybody is thinking like that.”
The rumblings of a potential departure for the 23-year-old stems from his poor showing in the playoffs. Poole averaged just 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. His efficiency was the real issues, as he made just 34.1% of his attempts from the floor and 25.4% from deep.