Trade season in the NBA is officially underway, and 2-time league MVP Stephen Curry will need some assistance from the Golden State Warriors’ front office sooner rather than later.
The franchise’s desperate need for frontcourt reinforcements remains a key storyline for the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed (13-14) and the league’s No. 21 ranked rebounding squad (43.1 team rebounds) amid Al Horford’s continued injury misfortune.
In an effort to remedy these issues and keep the aging group in contention for a title, ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently suggested that the dynastic organization should be ready to cut ties with their 23-year-old wing Jonathan Kuminga as soon as he’s eligible to be moved via trade.
“The Warriors are in a holding pattern until Jonathan Kuminga is eligible to be traded Jan. 15, when the goal should be to parlay his $22.5 million salary into a starting-caliber center or additional frontcourt help,” Marks wrote Monday morning.
“Golden State could also wait until the summer if a deadline deal doesn’t materialize, exercising Kuminga’s team option before moving him.”
“Kuminga has been DNP in three straight games and has seen his minutes decrease since opening the season in the starting lineup.”
Trade rumors surrounding the uber-athletic young forward have been swirling since this past offseason, but they’ll surely be reaching a new fever pitch come Jan. 15, giving the Warriors a solid chance to acquire a reliable starting center.
With Golden State’s head coach Steve Kerr refusing to give their former No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft any burn over the past three contests, a trade appears imminent.
In 17 appearances for the team in 2025-26, the fifth-year forward has contributed 12.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on a subpar 48.3% effective field goal percentage.
A floor-spacing, rebounding frontcourt force heading to the Warriors would likely be the desired outcome for the organization in a hypothetical Kuminga deal, but it remains to be seen whether their front office will take a liking to a specific target in the coming months.
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