Warriors Must Trade Jonathan Kuminga Amid NBA Rumors Ahead of 2025 Draft, Free Agency

Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. told reporters Monday that Jonathan Kuminga "will be a priority" and that the team will "figure something out sooner than later," phrases that suggest the team still does not know what to do with their 22-year-old power forward.

That was only amplified when Dunleavy admitted that his role with the team was not clear.

"There were some moments where he wasn’t playing as much, and then the role is bigger. He’s injured. All this up-and-down. … (His role) will probably be necessary to clarify.”

A role the team has had since the 2021 to clarify.

Uncertainty from the highest-ranking officials in the organization, coupled with inconsistent playing time that has defined his stint in Golden State, makes it more imperative than ever that the Warriors find a trade partner for the restricted free agent.

There is certainly interest in the young, still somewhat raw player, who tallied 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and shot from 45.4 percent from the field last season.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported for The Stein Line that both the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are potential suitors in a trade for Kuminga.

He wrote in the case of the Bulls, "This tracks with past interest that the Bulls have shown in Kuminga in previous trade discussions with Golden State over the past two seasons involving players such as Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević."

As for the Heat, he noted, "There is a belief among some rival teams, for example, that Miami could emerge as a potential Kuminga suitor — among various guards and swingmen that the Heat could target — if Pat Riley and Co. do not win the Durant Trade Sweepstakes."

They did not, with Durant being dealt to the Houston Rockets over the weekend.

With the 2025 NBA Draft kicking off Wednesday night, the Warriors could engage Chicago in discussions. The Bulls possess the No. 12 pick and with no clear indication on who they may use it on, seeing if that organization's front office would be open to packaging it in return for Kuminga would be an option.

The Heat, though they made it through the play-in tournament and into the first round of the playoffs, need a roster upgrade following the departure of Jimmy Butler to Golden State, where the superstar, ironically enough, cut into Kuminga's playing time.

Both teams have a need for talent upgrades and the Warriors likely have a desire to eliminate the distraction that Kuminga's role and playing time has been for them over the last season or two.

As much as the organization likes to throw around buzzwords like "potential" and "future," it has proven consistently that it does not fully buy into Kuminga, or believe in him enough to be the star they thought he would be.

If that is the case, trading him now and getting what they can ahead of or shortly after the draft is the best move for everyone involved.