Warriors Trade Pitch Swaps Jonathan Kuminga for 24 PPG Sharpshooter
The Golden State Warriors fell to 10-10 on Wednesday night after suffering a 104-100 loss to the Houston Rockets.
The mediocre record has caught many analysts off guard after the Warriors started the season 4-1 and were projected to be a top-three seed by ESPN and other media outlets.
Amid their struggles, the most obvious fix is to trade disgruntled fifth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga for a player who fits the Warriors’ pace-and-space system. If there’s one player who fits that mold, it’s former NBA champion Michael Porter Jr., who is enjoying a career year in his first season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a Warriors trade package that would see the franchise part with Kuminga and others in exchange for MPJ.
Proposed Warriors Trade Idea
Warriors would get: Michael Porter Jr.
Nets would get: Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, a 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected) and a 2028 first-round pick swap
Buckley argued that while the outgoing haul for MPJ may be too high, given his salary of $38.3 million, the Warriors don’t have too many options in the immediate future.
“Porter’s shot-making could be a godsend for Golden State, which has struggled to find consistent scoring around Stephen Curry,” he wrote.
“And while Porter is arguably overpaid ($38.3 million this season), the Warriors might be willing to stomach that blow since his contract will expire at the same time when Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green all exhaust their current deals (2027).”
Kuminga Can’t Be Traded Just Yet
Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $46.8 million extension last summer, isn’t eligible to be traded before Jan. 15, 2026. However, the Warriors could potentially discuss trades with teams beforehand and pull the trigger when Kuminga becomes trade-eligible.
Although the Warriors have tried to mend fences with Kuminga, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Congolese forward will be better off elsewhere. Buckley explained why it’s a lost cause for Golden State to make the Kuminga experiment work.
“While Kuminga signed a new pact with Golden State this summer, making him ineligible for a trade until mid-January, it felt like less of a long-term commitment and more of a short-term solution to a long-held problem. He’s always been a tricky fit for this system (at least in head coach Steve Kerr’s eyes), and he has yet to enjoy the kind of featured role typically handed to someone of his draft caliber (No. 7 pick in 2021).
“The Warriors could use someone who makes quicker decisions with the basketball and helps better space the floor. Someone like Porter, who was an ultra-efficient play-finisher alongside Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray in Denver and has remained nearly as efficient despite handling a much more featured role in Brooklyn.”
Kuminga, currently sidelined with a knee injury, has averaged 13.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists from 13 games in his fifth season with the Warriors. He started the season in red-hot form, tallying 17.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists through his first six games, while shooting 45% from deep. Those numbers subsequently dropped, leading Steve Kerr to bench him in favor of rookie Will Richard.
Former Bears Star RB Who Did Everything to Leave for the Jets, Is Now Unhappy and Wants to Return
The Kansas City Chiefs may add some help for their backfield at the upcoming trade deadline, but won’t be adding a 7,000-yard back who was seen as a top target.
The Chiefs have an uneven running game through the first five games of the season, struggling to get contributions from their running backs and leaning on quarterback Patrick Mahomes to move the ball on the ground. Many pundits pegged New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara as a potential solution, but a new report claims that he will be staying put at the NFL trade deadline.
Chiefs Will Need to Find Another Trade Target
NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday that Kamara remains committed to the Saints and told the team he doesn’t want to move.
“Sources say Kamara told Saints general manager Mickey Loomis that he’d like to remain with the franchise through the rest of his career, which was the goal when he signed a two-year, $24.5 million extension last October,” Rapoport reported. “Kamara is signed through 2026 and will have a decision to make prior to next season about if he wants to continue playing.”
Rapoport noted that Loomis had approached Kamara when the Saints started getting calls about his availability, but the running back remained firm.
“Loomis wanted to treat one of the faces of the franchise the right way,” Rapoport reported. “Loomis informed the homegrown player of interest elsewhere and wanted to be transparent. The question was simply: Would you want to go? Kamara expressed his preference to stay in New Orleans, the team that selected him in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.”
Kamara was seen as one of the best running backs available at the trade deadline, a 7,000-yard career rusher who excelled in both the rushing and passing games. SI.com’s Matt Verderame suggested the Chiefs might be able to land Kamara for a fifth-round pick, but instead the team will likely turn to other options.
Chiefs Could Seek Another Running Back
The Chiefs are still expected to be active on the trade market, seeking help for their backfield. Another report from Rapoport and fellow NFL.com reporter Mike Garofolo noted that the Chiefs and rival Los Angeles Chargers were both looking around for running back help.
It’s not clear where the Chiefs will turn next, with the report noting that both of their likely targets — Kamara and New York Jets running back Breece Hall — have both expressed a desire to stay with their respective teams.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano had previously suggested that the Chiefs could find help from the Jacksonville Jaguars and running back Travis Etienne Jr.
“The Jaguars drafted Bhayshul Tuten in the fourth round of this year’s draft and then took passing-down back LeQuint Allen Jr. in the seventh,” Graziano noted. “Those two probably form the future of the team’s backfield; Jacksonville already traded Tank Bigsby to the Eagles. If the Jaguars fall out of contention and want to get a longer look at their rookies, Etienne and his $6.143 million salary would probably be pretty easy to move.”
