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NBA Trade Idea Sends Clippers Star to Warriors for Jonathan Kuminga

The Golden State Warriors could be active at the NBA trade deadline.

Joey Linn

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) waits during a pause in the action against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) waits during a pause in the action against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at Chase Center. / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
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The Golden State Warriors did not make a big trade this offseason, opting to maintain flexibility entering the new year. Starting off the season hot, Golden State showed off its depth, leading some to believe a big trade may not be necessary.

Losing starting shooting guard De’Anthony Melton for the season due to an ACL injury, the Warriors now have a big hole in their rotation that could presumably be filled via trade. Unwilling to part ways with Jonathan Kuminga over the summer, the Warriors may reevaluate that stance before the trade deadline if they believe and upgrade is available on the trade market.

In a recent article, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a hypothetical trade scenario that sends Kuminga to the LA Clippers in exchange for star guard Norman Powell.

Warriors receive: Norman Powell

Clippers receive: De'Anthony Melton and Jonathan Kuminga

Stephen Curry and Norman Powell
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and LA Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) during the second half at Chase Center. / John Hefti-Imagn Images

Melton would simply be expiring money for the Clippers, while Kuminga would be a longterm piece. Powell is in the fourth year of his five-year, $90M contract. While that deal may have been unattractive to teams in previous years, Powell is amid a career season, averaging 23.3 points on 49.0% from the field and 48.7% from three.

Considering the Clippers are 12-9 and just 1.5 games back of Golden State in the standings, they could potentially be buyers themselves at the trade deadline. A lot of this will likely be dependent on the health and level of play Kawhi Leonard returns to, but it doesn’t feel overly reasonable to consider the Clippers potential sellers at this point.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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