Trust or Trade: Predicting the fates of 5 at-risk Golden State Warriors

Following another crushing loss, the Golden State Warriors have some tough decisions to make as the NBA trade deadline looms. As it stands, they sit 12th in the Western Conference and face an uphill battle to make the play-in tournament, let alone the playoffs.

That seemingly increases the need for a mid-season trade and they have several trade candidates that could theoretically be on the move ahead of the February 8th trade deadline. Of course, not every player on the Warriors will be dealt, and they will have to decide which player to trust or trade.

Trust: Jonathan Kuminga

Third-year player Jonathan Kuminga has shown significant improvement but is just now carving out a large and consistent role with the Warriors. That has led to him voicing his frustrations over a lack of playing time, which has led to speculation that he could be traded. Despite that, the Warriors shouldn't move on from Kuminga since he is their best young player and is motivated to try and earn a lucrative rookie contract extension that he is eligible for after this season.

A lack of a consistent role may actually stifle his value and could lead to him and the Warriors agreeing to an affordable extension this summer. That would mean that they would avoid him hitting restricted free agency in the summer of 2025, and possibly losing him for nothing to another team willing to pay up.

With their massive payroll, they couldn't afford to match big offers so that would be huge, especially with Kuminga starting to realize his potential.