With free agency grinding to a halt, many are watching to see what the Utah Jazz will do with their best player and whether they will trade him to the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors may be the leaders to land Jazz star Lauri Markkanen.
However, one of their biggest trade assets was just dubbed the most overrated player in the NBA by Bleacher Reports' Dan Favale. Jonathan Kuminga has slowly but surely developed into a key player for Golden State and he may prove to be the centerpiece of the Warriors' trade package for Markkanen.
While Favale's opinion isn't likely to sway the likelihood of a trade in one direction or another, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that the Jazz favored Warriors second-year player Brandin Podiemski over Kuminga, though that doesn't necessarily mean they don't value him.
Does Bleacher Report have a point about Jonathan Kuminga being the most overrated player in the NBA?
Early last season, Kuminga struggled to earn minutes despite playing well in limited playing time. Fortunately, in the 43 games from January 1st to the end of the season, Kuminga averaged 18.6 points on a terrific 54.1% shooting from the field as well as 5.3 rebounds per game. Not only that but he put up those strong numbers while playing just 29 minutes a game.
In a bigger role next season, he should easily clear 20 points and five rebounders per game with impressive efficiency. If that were to happen, he would join a small group of players to put up similar numbers, with only 27 players doing so last season, which doesn't sound like Kuminga is overrated at all.
Ultimately, Kuminga, despite being labeled as overrated, is one of the Warriors best players and also one of their best trade assets. If the Warriors do indeed trade for Markkanen, the deal is likely to include Kuminga, who would have a chance to show what he can do in an expanded role. Even if a trade doesn't' materialize, Kuminga will have a featured role in Golden State and a chance to prove doubters wrong.