NBA Trades: Risky potential Warriors swap would send a rising star to Sixers
By Cal Durrett
NBA Trades: Would the Golden State Warriors agree to the deal?
The Warriors' decision to trade Kuminga is an interesting one, to say the least. The Warriors are clearly trying to steer clear of the second apron, especially after letting star Klay Thompson leave. Golden State tried and failed to land a star this past summer, pursuing Utah Jazz power forward Lauri Markkanen as well as Paul George, who later signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the Warriors have more assets than the majority of playoff teams, moving Kuminga for more picks would likely signal a bigger deal down the road. After all, there are several star players that could become available during the season, such as Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram, and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.
If the Warriors are better than expected and determine that moving on from Kuminga would give them more assets to land a star, then that might increase their chances of dealing him. Especially with him set to become a restricted free agent and teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, who have been linked to him, having as much as $80 million in projected cap space.
Therefore, trading him before it gets to the point where they risk losing him for nothing makes sense and the Sixers can offer real assets so the Warriors should strongly consider the deal.