NBA Trades: Risky potential Warriors swap would send a rising star to Sixers
By Cal Durrett
NBA Trades: Warriors trade Jonathan Kuminga to the Sixers
The hypothetical deal would send Kenyon Martin Jr. and two first-round picks to the Golden State Warriors for Kuminga. While the deal wouldn't necessarily make the Warriors better this season, it could help them finally land another star to pair with their own superstar, Steph Curry.
Adding two first-round picks and pairing them with Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and Andrew Wiggins would allow them to match salaries with a big-name star and entice their team to potentially trade them. Meanwhile, the Sixers would get a promising young player who has shown flashes of greatness.
The Sixers could re-sign him this summer since Kuminga will be a restricted free agent after he failed to agree to an extension with Golden State. That would allow them to sign Kuminga to a long-term deal, possibly for much cheaper than he would otherwise get if he had agreed to an extension.
Acquiring a recent high lottery pick who still has a chance to turn into a very good player is a rare opportunity. Moreover, Golden State doesn't seem committed to Kuminga long-term after not extending him and previously trying to trade him. Be that as it may, would they move him this season? Next, we'll see if the deal makes sense for the Warriors, then for the Sixers.