New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Jonathan Kuminga to Chicago, Hawks Get Frontcourt Depth

The Orlando Magic got the offseason started in earnest with the announcement that they completed a blockbuster trade to acquire Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first round picks, and one pick swap. However, this is far from the only deal that is likely to occur this summer.

Outside of the impending Kevin Durant trade, there are several interesting candidates to be moved in a sign-and-trade agreement this summer. One of the most interesting is Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga has flashed potential for the Warriors at several different instances, most recently in the 2025 playoffs against the Timberwolves. However, it's clear the Warriors need to consider changes. Acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline helped improve their roster, but their matchup against the Timberwolves showed that the Warriors still need more defense and could use more shooting. They had no answer for Julius Randle in the Timberwolves series and went on several cold streaks without Steph Curry to push them forward. Draymond Green has been an incredible defensive anchor throughout the Warriors' dynasty, but it's fair to wonder if the Warriors need to consider moving him from guarding centers and actually acquire a true big man. In short, Golden State needs a third source of offense beyond Curry and Butler who can also bring the size that their roster lacks.

Their best path to acquring that size is Kuminga. The Warriors have often struggled to fit him into their system and it seems that both sides would benefit from a change. One team that has expressed interest in acquiring Kuminga is the Chicago Bulls. NBA insider Mike Scotto of HoopsHype have stated both the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are interested in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga.

REPORT: The Bulls and Heat are two teams to monitor as potential sign-and-trade candidates for Jonathan Kuminga, per @MikeAScotto. pic.twitter.com/5UK8sx72tP
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 16, 2025

The Bulls have a very crowded backcourt and could be interested in moving on from players like Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Lonzo Ball as part of that deal. However, the Warriors would likely covet center Nikola Vucevic, who they were linked to at the trade deadline.

If the Warriors and Bulls did agree to a trade, it would make some sense to loop in a third team because the Warriors are only $17.3 million under the luxury tax line. The Hawks could be that third team. Atlanta has a ton of financial flexibility this summer, which they can use to address their needs at interior defense, front court depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could also look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

Given the needs of all three teams, what would a trade between them look like? Here is one possible framework for a deal.

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Trayce Jackson-Davis

Golden State Warriors Receive: Ayo Dosunmu, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, 2026 1st round pick (via POR, top-14 protected), 2027 2nd round pick (via CLE, from ATL), 2031 2nd round pick (via ATL)

Chicago Bulls Receive: Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga (S&T, 4YR, $101.5M)

Why the Hawks would do this deal: Jackson-Davis fell out of the Warriors' rotation last season, but he's been a good player when his number is called. As a rookie, he averaged 1.1 blocks and had impressive defensive performances like blocking Giannis three times in one game. However, Quinten Post took his role this season and Jackson-Davis was relegated to a bench role. n the Warriors' Game 2 loss to the Wolves, Jackson-Davis got more minutes and scored 15 points while grabbing six rebounds. He's a complete non-shooter, but he can be a lob threat and capable defender if given an opportunity. Considering that the Hawks do need a backup center, it would be helpful to acquire Jackson-Davis as a younger option who could give the Hawks some more insurance at the backup center spot.

Why the Hawks would not do this deal: TJD isn't a shooting threat at all and would be exclusively used as a rim-runner. That archetype of player is starting to fade out of the NBA and he's a below average FT shooter. There doesn't seem to be many signs indicating that he can be a positive contributor on offense, which limits his role at this stage.

Why the Warriors would do this deal: The Warriors place a massive workload on Steph Curry's shoulders and his body is starting to slow down as a result. Therefore, acquiring a backup point guard that can spell Steph at times during the regular season is something that they should be interested in. . The best version of Lonzo Ball is a player that would help the Warriors' defense and fill their need for another ball-handler to take pressure off of Curry. He's 6'6 and consistently shot well from deep for the last four seasons of his career, which means he can survive in a variety of different lineups. When he returned from injury last season, he posted a 96th percentile assist:usage ratio of 1:12 and a 86th percentile AST% of 18.6%. On defense, he posted an elite STL% of 2.5%, good for a 96th percentile ranking last season. Adding him to a defense that already has Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green could make an already-intimidating Warriors defense that much better. Dosunmu is also a great defender who takes on difficult defensive assignments with success. For example, he's been very effective against Trae Young in his minutes against the All-Star point guard. As a playmaker, he's very underrated, posting an AST% of 21% in the minutes he played last season. For some reference, that graded out in the 92nd percentile leaguewide. His speed is his best asset and he uses that to get past defenders and fight for offensive rebounds. However, the biggest impact in this deal would likely come from Vucevic. He's a double-double machine who averaged 18.5 points and 10.1 rebounds, as well as 3.5 assists last season on a staggering 40.2% from deep on 4.4 attempts per game. Vucevic's shooting did trail off towards the end of the year and he's a massive liability on defense, but he sets excellent screens and poses enough of an offensive threat to open the floor up for Steph and Jimmy to work on offense. He also improves their depth by relegating Quinten Post, who gave the Warriors good minutes last season as a stretch five, to a backup role. Furthermore, he's also an expiring contract and the Warriors can move on after this season with little penalty.

Why the Warriors would not do this deal: Vucevic's defense is going to be a problem at higher levels of the postseason and he isn't the most consistent shooter. Ball comes with tons of injury issues - in the 32 games he played this season, he played 22.2 minutes per game. That's a solid mark considering all of the injuries he's gone through, but he just can't be counted on for a big role considering his injuries. It limits how much Golden State can benefit in this deal. Dosunmu struggled through a shoulder injury that limited him to 46 games last season, so it remains to be seen how he will rebound in 2025-26.

Why the Bulls would do this deal: Jonathan Kuminga's flashes of potential are incredibly tantalizing. With Curry out in the Minnesota series, he dropped 30 points in Game 3 against a very strong Timberwolves defense. He's an incredibly athletic wing who converted on 72% of his attempts at the rim last season, good for the 87th percentile relative to all wings. One of his most useful skills is drawing tons of contact - he finished last season in the 94th percentile among wings for percentage of shots fouled on (16,5%). Matas Buzelis had an excellent rookie season for the Bulls and pairing him with Kuminga would give Chicago one of the most athletic forward duos in basketball. Although he's not a great defender, he has tons of defensive potential that shows up in spurts. Moody would help the Bulls' need for more shooting - he shot a career-best 37.4% from deep on 4.6 attempts per game and averaged a career-high 9.8 points per game. He's not solely reliant on his three-point shot, converting 72% of his shots at the rim (82nd percentile among all wings). Moody's a solid defender with long arms (7'0 wingspan) to get into passing lanes. He's not an elite shooter or defender, but he's solid in both areas and secured under contract for the next three years. Considering that they are losing Dosunmu, Moody is a nice replacement who brings more shooting even if he isn't the defender that Ayo is.

Why the Bulls would not do this deal: Kuminga and Buzelis are very similar players with the exception being that Buzelis had a much more encouraging rookie campaign as a three-point shooter. There's possible overlap between their skillsets that make them somewhat redundant. The price of Kuminga's extension is also a significant consideration because the team is gearing up to give Josh Giddey a new contract this summer as well.

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