Jonathan Kuminga has drawn plenty of attention from the NBA world due to his ongoing restricted free agency saga.
The 22-year-old wing has refused to come to terms on a new deal with the Golden State Warriors, as the former No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft believes that the franchise has effectively stunted his growth.
Golden State and Kuminga's camp have been searching for a sign-and-trade partner. Unfortunately, the Warriors and their general manager Mike Dunleavy have not made any traction on the trade front, though teams such as the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings have shown interest in acquiring the rising star.
With regard to the latter of the three potential suitors, the Kings have reportedly discussed the idea of shipping away a key asset in exchange for Kuminga. The Warriors believe they can build a true contender around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green heading into the 2025-26 campaign, which led Dunleavy to respond with a hefty counter offer.
"Originally, the Kings offered Dario Saric, Devin Carter, and two second-round picks in a sign-and-trade proposal during the first week of free agency," ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel wrote Thursday morning.
"This deal was slightly increased when Sacramento instead made the two second-round picks a protected first-round pick, sources said."
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"Malik Monk's name has also been brought up in dialogue between the two parties, yet negotiations have not made it past the Kings' initial offer and the Warriors' counterproposal, which includes the likes of Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis."
Siegel went on to confirm that the Kings currently hold no interest in relinquishing either Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis in a deal for Kuminga, but the Warriors should hold firm in their demands.
If Golden State were to somehow come away with a combination of Malik Monk and Ellis in a hypothetical transaction, specifically, the franchise could set themselves up for immediate and future success.
Though the road ahead appears to be extraordinarily difficult for the dynastic organization, both versatile shooting guard options would aid the Warriors in plenty of areas.
For one, Monk has developed into one of the best bench scorers in the Association, as the 8-year veteran combo-guard averaged a career-bests across the board with 17.2 points, 5.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 65 appearances for the Kings in 2024-25. His streaky scoring prowess would provide Golden State with a necessary offensive punch behind Curry and Butler.
As for Ellis, the 25-year-old shooting guard has burst onto the scene in recent years for Sacramento. In 2024-24, the 6-foot-6, agile defender authored his most impactful campaign yet, averaging 8.3 points and swiping 1.5 steals while knocking down a blistering 43.3% of his looks from distance.
A perfect backcourt partner to pair with Curry in certain packages, his two-way stifling perimeter defense and knockdown distance shooting would likely see Ellis fit like a glove in head coach Steve Kerr's rotation.
A trade of this caliber remains highly unlikely, but the Warriors may continue to put their foot on the gas to get Kuminga off of their roster as soon as possible.
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