Jonathan Kuminga Trade Rumors: Warriors Making 'Final Analysis' About Star's Future

Amid a strong start to the season, the Golden State Warriors are in the process of figuring out where Jonathan Kuminga might fit into their long-term plans.

Appearing on Wednesday's episode of Get Up (h/t RealGM.com), ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the Warriors are making a "final analysis" on Kuminga to decide if they want to keep him or trade him:

"One of the most important players in the league to watch right now, believe it or not, is Jonathan Kuminga. The reason I say that is the Warriors have been sniffing around making a star player transaction for almost a year now. Right now, they're basically making the final analysis on Jonathan Kuminga. Are they going to keep him or are they going to move him?

"Over the last two weeks he's moved into the starting lineup, he's averaged 21 points and five rebounds at almost 50 percent shooting in those games. This could also be termed as a showcase depending."

Kuminga's place on the Warriors roster has been a key storyline for most of the past year. The team opted not to match his asking price on a contract extension before the start of this season.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported Kuminga was seeking $35 million annually, while the Warriors' offer topped out at $30 million per season.

Kuminga was unhappy with his role on the team at one point last season that he reportedly lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr allowing him to reach his full potential.

As Kerr started to increase Kuminga's playing time in the back half of last season, he carved out a bigger role on both ends of the court. He averaged 18.9 points on 54.2 percent shooting and 5.4 rebounds per game in his final 40 appearances.

After a slow start this season, Kuminga is once again looking like a key player for the Warriors. Since moving back into the starting lineup on Nov. 27, he is averaging 19.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in six appearances.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the Warriors are still pursuing another star player to pair with Stephen Curry after missing out on Paul George and Lauri Markkanen during the offseason.

Any team that might consider making a deal with the Warriors for a star would presumably ask for Kuminga given his age and upside that he's shown in games. He will be a restricted free agent after this season, so any decision Golden State is going to make about his future will almost certainly have to come very soon.