Although the Golden State Warriors “went more than a month without discussing” a sign-and-trade that would send Jonathan Kuminga to the Sacramento Kings, “the talks between the two sides were renewed earlier this week,” according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Apparently, “no significant progress was made” in the Warriors and Kings most recent roundtable. For now, Golden State is resistant to the idea of taking on Malik Monk. This is reportedly due to both his future earnings and immediate fit. As a result, even if they did accept him as part of Sacramento’s package for Kuminga, it’s “likely” that he would be re-routed to a third team. However, the bigger issue is that for all of their interest in acquiring Kuminga, the Kings don’t believe he’s lived up to the billing of a lottery pick. As a result, they don’t want to remove the protections from the 2030 first-round pick that they’ve offered for him.
The Ironic Reason Warriors Haven’t Traded Jonathan Kuminga
It’s ironic really.
Had Kuminga been given free rein, he undoubtedly would have put up the numbers that are expected of a lottery pick.
His career scoring average (12.5 points per game) is 10th in the 2021 NBA Draft class. That mark is just behind New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III (13.7 points per game), a pretty popular player. Yet, it lags behind several of his draft classmates who also happen to be above-average playmakers, like Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham and Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun.
That being said, Kuminga wasn’t being thought of as a point-forward entering the draft. Nevertheless, between his physical traits and scoring instincts, he was expected to make a bigger dent on the jumbotron.
Underappreciated/Underdeveloped
To be fair, when Kuminga plays 30+ minutes per game, he averages 20+ points per game. However, because he zigs while his teammates zag, his performances aren’t as appreciated as they should be.
To some, the chief culprit is Kuminga himself, as he needs to refine his shooting touch or basketball IQ. To others, the problem is Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who is almost as dogmatic about his offensive philosophy as Phil Jackson was about the triangle offense. Even Golden State’s front office is in the crosshairs, fans questioning their post-dynasty succession plan.
No matter who deserves the blame, the fact is that the Warriors haven’t been able to extract an unprotected first-rounder from the Kings for Kuminga because they won’t put him in position to be seen as a lottery pick. Instead, he has spent most of his time playing fourth fiddle to aging stars. Even worse, it’s not as if Kuminga has suddenly actually gotten worse as a player. Actually, he’s essentially exactly who he was when they drafted him.
Of course, this underscores his lack of overall development. That too could be on Kuminga, the coaching staff, and/or the front office. However, it illuminates the ridiculousness of using the No. 7 pick on a player whose skillset wouldn’t be fully appreciated. A player whose minutes would ultimately suffer because they’re the black sheep in the rotation.
If Golden State’s goal was to add a player that didn’t fit their identity, bravo. But if not?
© Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The post The Ironic Reason Jonathan Kuminga Hasn’t Been Traded appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.