Blockbuster Trade To Monitor, As Warriors "More Willing Than Ever" To Deal Jonathan Kuminga

Heading into his 4th NBA season after a big improvement last year, the Golden State Warriors' presumed key to their future, Jonathan Kuminga, was supposed to be ready for a huge breakout in 2024-25. He had demanded a max-like rookie extension this summer that the Dubs weren't yet ready to hand out.

Now, as the season has gotten underway, Kuminga has already been benched, taken off the starting unit, and the trade rumors are swirling ferociously.

As reported by John Hollinger and Sam Amick in The Athletic, the Warriors are "more willing than ever" to seriously consider trading Kuminga.

It’s reported that several NBA executives believe that Golden State are ‘more willing than ever’ to consider trading Jonathan Kuminga 👀

per @johnhollinger and @sam_amick pic.twitter.com/qqp4BOVjOs
— NBA Retweet (@RTNBA) November 1, 2024

And the mind-blowing deal that we are told to 'monitor' would send Kuminga to the Miami Heat for disgruntled superstar Jimmy Butler.

"Rival executives believe the Warriors are more willing than ever to include Kuminga in a trade of significant magnitude," wrote Amick. "(But) the fact remains that they’re setting their sights very high in terms of possible targets. One name to monitor is Jimmy Butler, the 35-year-old Miami Heat star who league sources say drew interest from the Warriors during the offseason and who did not come to terms on an extension. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer."

Fellow insider Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report is hearing something similar about Kuminga:

I do think that the Warriors would be willing to deal Kuminga if the incoming star package would be ideal. We know that, because his name was involved in talks with the Utah Jazz this past offseason, when it came to the Warriors trying to make a move for Laurie Markkanen... They were big-game hunting with Paul George (and Markkanen)... They're not going to move him unless it's for a Giannis or Jimmy Butler.

Kuminga's numbers are down across the board this season through five games, averaging just 11.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 23 minutes a game, which is down from 26+ minutes last season.