Ranking Realistic Trade Targets for Jonathan Kuminga

A month ago, I ranked the top trade targets the Warriors could pursue for Jonathan Kuminga.

It’s easy to see now that many of them are not realistic targets.

So here is a revised list that only ranks the realistic targets for Kuminga, who is eligible to be traded on Jan. 15.

Note that I didn’t include any guards on either list because the Warriors are already too guard-heavy. I also left off Anthony Davis, as The Athletic's Sam Amick reported the Warriors are unlikely to trade for him.

Dropped from Previous Top 10

SF Trey Murphy III, C Ivica Zubac, C Myles Turner, SF Andrew Wiggins, SF Bennedict Mathurin, SF Dillon Brooks

Suns governor Mat Ishbia wrote on X that "Dillon's not going anywhere." It makes sense because the Suns are much better than expected and Brooks has been a big part of that.

Mathurin never felt like a great fit with the Warriors, and now that he's out for a while with thumb and toe injuries, it feels even more unlikely.

Wiggins is a high-minute starter for a 20-16 team. The Heat have no reason to trade him unless it's part of a package for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Speaking of Giannis, I almost included Myles Turner as a realistic trade target because a Giannis trade could happen before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. But at the moment, it feels more likely that the Bucks will play out one more season with their superstar before revisiting the trade drama in the offseason. If so, Turner is staying put.

The Clippers don't own their 2026 first-round pick, so this trade season is not an ideal time to start a rebuild. With that said, if Kawhi Leonard were to suffer a major injury, they'd have to consider dealing Ivica Zubac. Assuming that doesn't happen, Zubac is probably staying put to help the Clippers get into the play-in tournament.

Murphy is a 25-year-old wing averaging 20.7 points per game on great efficiency. He's under contract through the 2028-29 season. The Pelicans have no reason to trade him. They have likely listened to trade calls to see if a contender wants to give up something outrageous like four unprotected first-round picks. The Warriors won't be doing that.

Other Names Worth Mentioning

G Jrue Holiday, C Robert Williams III, SF Corey Kispert

I know I said "no guards!" in the intro, but if the Warriors were to talk themselves into a guard, they'd want a rugged defender capable of guarding bigger players. Holiday is making $34.8 million next season and has a player option for $37.2 million in 2027-28. That's a ton of money for someone who is already 35. Of course a 6'4" guard wouldn't be the Warriors' first option, but they could do worse as a last resort.

Williams would be great to have in a center rotation with Quinten Post, but I have a hard time believing the Warriors want their prize from the Kuminga trade to be an oft-injured big man averaging 16.7 minutes per game. If they can get Williams and a bigger fish this trade season, that would be ideal.

The report from Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor linking the Wizards to a Kuminga trade was surprising. My guess is the Wizards would be interested in taking Kuminga in a three-team trade, which means the Warriors wouldn't end up with any core Wizards players. But if it were a Warriors-Wizards-only trade, Kispert would be the most likely target for Golden State, though it would be a big letdown if he were the prize of a Kuminga trade. He doesn't help their issues of size, rebounding or scoring inside.

Realistic Top 5

5. Daniel Gafford

Just like with Williams, the Warriors would likely love to get Gafford AND a signifcant wing upgrade for Kuminga. If they traded Kuminga for Gafford, they could also get Naji Marshall or Klay Thompson from Dallas as part of the package, both of whom could help off the bench. But they need a more dynamic wing than them.

In any event, Gafford would start for the Warriors and do things their centers don't do much of, which is crush lobs, get contested rebounds and block shots.

4. Jerami Grant

Grant is a 6'7" wing averaging 20.0 points per game on decent shooting splits (including 38.9 percent from three). On the surface, he seems like a perfect fit.

I'm skeptical, though. He's never been very impactful on offense or defense. For his career, his teams are minus-0.1 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, per Basketball Reference.

That suggests he's an average player making $32 million this season, $34.2 million next season and $36.4 million in 2027-28 if he picks up his player option.

There's a reason if you search "worst contracts in the NBA," his name appears on a lot of those lists.

With that said, he would easily be the Warriors' third-best scorer, and his size would make their lineups not look so small.

3. Nic Claxton

Claxton and Gafford are similar players, but what makes Claxton stand out is his passing ability. He's averaging 4.2 assists per game. The last time the Warriors had a great passer at center was Andrew Bogut, and he fit quite well with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.

Claxton is making $25.4 million this season, so it would be hard to acquire him and also get a significant wing upgrade. If the wing market runs super dry, the Warriors might have to settle on trading for Claxton and continue to rely on undersized guards like De'Anthony Melton and Will Richard to guard bigger wings.

2. Herb Jones

There have been numerous reports that say the Pelicans are not interested in trading Murphy or Jones, but I suspect they will trade the latter.

Sure, Jones is under contract through at least 2028-29, so there's no rush to deal. On the other hand, the wing market is pretty dry this trade season, so they can leverage that to get a good package for a 27-year-old who averages 9.8 points and shoots just 40.7 percent from the field.

The Pelicans also traded their 2026 first-round pick, and moving Jones is the most obvious way to get a 2026 first.

The Warriors would prefer for their wing acquisition to be a better scorer than Jones, but no one on the market would be a more perfect fit defensively.

Lineups with Green, Jones and Butler would be dominant on the less glamorous end.

The 6'7" wing was named first-team All-Defensive in 2023-24.

1. Michael Porter Jr.

I recently ranked the four teams that have had reported interest in trading for Michael Porter Jr. by likeliness of landing him.

I ranked the Warriors No. 1, but the issue is, as The Stein Line's Jake Fischer reported, Brooklyn "has not shown much interest in Jonathan Kuminga dating back to last summer."

Whether that means the Warriors would need to get a third team involved or the Nets would demand significantly more draft capital is up for debate, but there's no denying Porter is the best wing the Warriors can realistically get in the next few weeks.

Porter is averaging 25.9 points on 49.5 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three. And though he's not a great defender, his teams have been better on defense with him on the floor in four of the last five seasons, per Cleaning the Glass.

The Warriors should be willing to give up two first-round picks for him. He's the only player on the market who would significantly improve their offense.