After months of negotiations between the two parties, star forward Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors reached an agreement on a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension. The second year of the deal is a team option, and reports suggested heavily throughout the offseason that Kuminga was against this.
Although he cannot be traded until January 15, there will be a few weeks of negotiation available for the Warriors afterwards. If Kuminga is not meeting standards in Golden State, the front office could decide it’s best to get some return value for him rather than declining his second-year option and allowing him to walk in free agency.
Will One of Jonathan Kuminga’s Most Rumored Suitors Hold Interest in Him by the Trade Deadline?
The Chicago Bulls are stuck in a tier of mediocrity in the Eastern Conference. With no serious direction or blueprint laid out, a trade for 23-year-old Kuminga could be appealing.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey predicts if the deadline was today, the Bulls could trade center Nikola Vucevic and a 2031 lottery-protected first-round pick to the Warriors for Kuminga.
“The Golden State Warriors may have added Al Horford this offseason, but they’re still one of the smallest teams in the league,” Bailey shared. “And the Chicago Bulls have a veteran center who could supercharge their second unit.”
It’s obvious the Warriors hope to win a final championship with Stephen Curry at the helm. With moves in the past year for Jimmy Butler, Horford, Seth Curry, and more, the front office is all-in on a title push. It’s tough to say whether Vucevic or Kuminga contributes more to that goal, but the former certainly helps them in the size department, as Bailey pointed out.
“Fans may wince at the idea of giving up a first-rounder for Jonathan Kuminga, but his athleticism and physical profile are still intriguing, especially if, in a bigger role and with consistent opportunities set up by Josh Giddey, he could thrive,” Bailey concluded.
The reality is this may be a bit of an overpay for Kuminga, but given his upside and Chicago’s lack of direction, it’s well worth it. The Warriors forward averaged 15.3 points on mediocre shooting splits in the 2024-2025 season. His athleticism makes him a threat on both ends of the floor, which the Bulls could greatly benefit from.
It’s hard to gauge what the Warriors’ plan with Kuminga is, but Chicago is undoubtedly an intriguing landing spot if he’s made available come February.
