Getty Jonathan Kuminga dribbles.
The Golden State Warriors have tough decisions to make this offseason to maximize their championship window with Stephen Curry. They’ve been hesitant to trade Jonathan Kuminga, but they might have to move him to get a player back who can help them win now.
In a proposed trade from Stephen Noh of The Sporting News, they’d be doing just that. Noh proposed a three-team deal between the Warriors, Miami Heat, and Detroit Pistons. The Warriors would move Kuminga and more for Jimmy Butler.
Warriors would get: Butler
Heat would get: Kuminga, Moses Moody, Kevon Looney, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick
Pistons would get: Andrew Wiggins, three second-round picks
“Butler would obviously be a massive upgrade over Wiggins. The Warriors haven’t had a reliable second scorer to take the pressure off Curry, and Butler could do that job,” Noh wrote on June 14. “He’s still a great two-way player who could help the team get back to an elite level of defense as well. Butler does like to have the ball in his hands, but he’s also a smart cutter and great passer who could work well in the team’s motion-based offense. The cost here would be massive. It’s not everything that Golden State has to offer, but it’s close.
“Getting rid of Kuminga, who had a breakout season, and Moody, who also played better this year, would jeopardize the team’s future. But if they are serious about acquiring Butler, it’s going to take a big package.”
‘Jimmy Butler’s Name Has Popped up in the Conversation’
The Golden State Warriors reportedly have had conversations about Butler already, according to Nick Friedell on an episode of “Willard & Dibs.”
“Jimmy Butler’s name has popped up in the conversation…I think it’s a fit on paper, but I’m not sure how he fits into that locker room as the alpha personality that he is and I don’t know if after all the wear and tear on his knees the Warriors would want to give him that extension,” Friedell said on June 13. “That would scare the hell out of me.”
Butler has dealt with injuries in his career, and his personality would add a different dynamic to the Warriors’ locker room. According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, some in the Philadelphia 76ers organization “didn’t know how to take Butler’s personality,” which led to them paying Tobias Harris instead.
Butler sprained his MCL during the Play-In Tournament, missing the entire first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
Draymond Green’s personality brings challenges to the Warriors, so it’s not something they aren’t used to.
Is Trading Jonathan Kuminga Worth It?
The question for the Golden State Warriors is if trading Kuminga for an older, win-now player is the right move for the organization. Kuminga, 21, had the best season of his three-year NBA career, averaging a career-high 16.1 points per game.
Butler, a six-time All-Star, averaged 20.8 points per game last season, shooting 49.9% from the field and 41.4% from three-point range.
34, Butler enters the later stages of his career.
However, in the 2022-23 playoffs, he averaged 26.9 points and helped the Miami Heat return to the NBA finals for the second time in four seasons.
If they’re going to move Kuminga, trading him for a playoff riser makes sense, which is exactly what Butler is.