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With Stephen Curry‘s frustrations getting more obvious in each loss, there is an urgency for the Golden State Warriors to bring in more help.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a trade that could improve the defense and shooting around Curry at the expense of rising forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is out for at least three weeks with a severe ankle sprain.
Golden State Warriors receive: De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanović
Atlanta Hawks receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Dennis Schröder, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney and a 2027 first-round pick (top-five protected)
Kuminga might have the higher ceiling but Hunter’s version this season is what the Warriors need — a two-way force who’s been shooting the lights out.
“Hunter’s improved shot diet has him on course for the most productive (and efficient) campaign of his career. It has also made him an intriguing target for any and every win-now shopper since no modern team has too many versatile wings with reliable outside shots,” Buckley wrote.
The Hawks forward is averaging 19.7 points on 47.8% overall shooting and 43.9% from the 3-point line — all career highs, with 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists. A 6-foot-8 3-and-D wing with a 7-foot-2 wingspan is a premier commodity in the NBA plus a proven winner — his clutch 3-pointer in the 2019 NCAA tournament championship is forever etched in Virginia basketball history.
Hawks Veteran Pair Fits Steve Kerr’s System
On the other hand, Bogdanović is shooting a career-low 34% from the 3-point line but it’s still good for 2.1 makes per game. A change of scenery could help him re-establish himself as sharpshooter and a dogged defender under Steve Kerr’s system.
“While neither he nor Bogdanović would fill Golden State’s second-star opening, the pair seem like easy system fits who could help the machine run more efficiently.
Hunter’s shooting and consistency could make him a cleaner fit on the wings with Andrew Wiggins, and Bogdanović’s ability to generate chances for himself and his teammates would make Stephen Curry’s life a lot easier,” Buckley wrote.
This trade could only happen near the trade deadline as Schröder cannot be traded until February 5.
Steph Curry is Exasperated After Warriors’ Back-to-Back ‘No Shows’
Back-to-back blowouts had pushed Curry to the edge.
He was seen slamming a chair and shaking his head during a Warriors’ timeout in their latest setback — a 114-98 loss to a Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat two nights after a 30-point beating at the hands of a De’Aaron Fox-less Sacramento Kings.
The embarrassing losses shoved the Warriors to new a low-point of the season at 18-18 and on the brink of getting bumped off the top 10 teams in the West.
“Back-to-back no-shows pretty much,” Curry told reporters after losing to Miami. “The hard part is these are winnable games against teams that, for whatever reason, are around the same place in the standings.”
They have failed to reach 100 points in their last four losses. Asked how to fix their struggling offense, Curry was blunt and gave a meaningful answer.
“I honestly have no idea,” he told reporters. “We’ll try to figure it out. But I don’t have answer right now.”
Jonathan Kuminga Out Longer Than 3 Weeks, Says Doctor
Dr. Nirav Pandya, a professor at the Orthopedic Surgery department of the University of California, San Francisco and director of sports medicine at Benioff Children’s Hospital, said Kuminga could miss more than three weeks.
“Anytime you have a player who at the time of injury, the team’s already saying, ‘Hey, this is a severe injury.’ It’s a little bit more significant,” Dr. Pandya said on “Willard and Dibs” show on 95.7 The Game on January 8. “Even before you get an MRI, based on how he looks, you do get a little bit more concerned.
“And when you see this three-week re-evaluation timeline, it doesn’t mean typically, that he’s going to be quote, unquote, playing in three weeks. It could be another three to four weeks afterward. So when you get these more moderate to severe sprains, you’re looking at six weeks.”
Dr. Pandya noted that Kuminga’s injury could have an impact on his performance when he returns as he’s the type of player who relies on his explosiveness.