Kuminga Trade Idea Gets Warriors Versatile Wing and Athletic Center

The Golden State Warriors have two needs at the trade deadline: a wing and a center.

If they get both in one trade for Jonathan Kuminga, that would be ideal.

To be clear, I recommend that the Warriors meet the asking price for Michael Porter Jr. or Trey Murphy III, even if that means they don't upgrade their center rotation.

But if they don't even up with either star wing, the following trade would make sense.

The Trade

Warriors get: Daniel Gafford, Naji Marshall
Mavericks get: Jonathan Kuminga, 2026 lottery-protected first-round pick (via Warriors)
Jazz get: Trayce Jackson-Davis, 2032 second-round pick (via Mavs)

Why the Warriors Do This

Ideally, the wing the Warriors acquire will be a three-level scorer who can defend at an above-average level, but the player I just described is rare and will always costs a ton of draft capital.

Marshall is not a three-level scorer. He takes only 2.9 three-pointers per game and makes just 30.8 percent of those. On a team with Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, that's an issue.

But Marshall does everything else at an above-average level.

The 27-year-old forward is scoring 14.0 points per game and shooting 54.3 percent from the field, bolstered by an excellent rate from the mid-range. He has a strong, 6'6" frame that allows him to defend bigger wings. He averages just 1.6 turnovers per 36 minutes (in comparison, Kuminga averages 3.6 per 36 minutes).

A player with Marshall's high basketball IQ was made to play in Steve Kerr's offense.

Gafford is a 6'10" center who knows his role. For his career, 65.1 percent of his field-goal attempts come from within three feet of the basket. That's why he's shooting 70.4 percent for his career.

Defensively, it's a mixed bag for the 27-year-old. On the one hand, he's a decent shot-blocker, but over the last two seasons, the Mavericks have actually had a higher defensive rebounding percentage with him off the floor.

With Gafford, Al Horford and Quinten Post, Kerr would have the ability to play matchups and go with the hot hand.

I doubt Marshall or Gafford would close games often, but they would likely bolster the rotation enough to get the Warriors a top-six seed in the Western Conference standings.

Why the Mavs Do This

The Mavs are looking to get younger and open future cap space to build around Cooper Flagg, so trading two 27-year-olds for a 23-year-old makes sense in that regard.

With that said, Marshall and Gafford are not the players they need to move most to get their rebuild going.

They surely are more focused on trading 35-year-old Klay Thompson and currently injured 32-year-old Anthony Davis.

If I had to guess, the Mavs would offer Thompson instead of Marshall, and if the Warriors agreed to that, they wouldn't have to give up a first-round pick.

But at this point, Marshall is a better player than Thompson, which is why the Warriors only do this trade if they get Marshall. So the Mavs are still stuck with Thompson, but they get a first-round pick and Kuminga, who gets major minutes over the next couple of months to help Dallas' front office determine if he's a long-term fit.

It's a coup for the Mavericks, who take advantage of Golden State's lack of leverage to make a trade that's low-risk with the potential for a high reward.

Why the Jazz Do This

The Warriors need to get rid of a player to make the money work and to get their roster size back to 15. They choose to salary-dump Jackson-Davis, who would be the fourth-string center with Gafford in town.

The Jazz take TJD on for a 2032 second-round pick provided by the Mavs, who are open to giving up that pick because they're more than satisfied landing a first from the Warriors.

The Jazz basically get a second-rounder for free, as they likely release TJD right after acquiring him.