Warriors Insider Names 3-and-D Wing as Realistic Trade Target for Kuminga

Steve Kerr confirmed Thursday that the Golden State Warriors will continue to start Moses Moody and Will Richard, forcing Jonathan Kuminga to come off the bench.

Nothing is permanent in the Warriors' lineup discussion, but it's not just Kuminga's demotion that could lead to a trade. Draymond Green's Tuesday quote about agendas could be a turning point for Golden State's decision-makers. We don't know that the quote was about Kuminga, but a reading of the tea leaves suggests it was at least partially about him.

Tim Kawakami of the SF Standard wrote a detailed trade outlook for the Warriors on Thursday, and he had this to say about New Orleans Pelicans three-and-D wing Herb Jones:

"Jones’ length and premium defense would sure look good in the Warriors’ rotation. But he has weaknesses.

"Basically, Jones is the lesser version of the perfect trade candidate for Kuminga. I think this is about the realistic line for what the Warriors could get for Kuminga in January. Is Jones enough? He’s probably right on the borderline."

Jones has thrived on defense over his five-year career, which includes a first-team All-Defensive selection in 2023-24. He's shooting a career-high 43.8 percent from three, though his career 37.0 percentage suggests that number will go down. Still, he comfortably fits the three-and-D label. He's not much of a scorer with a career average of 10.1 points per game, but he's a decent decision-maker (career 620 assists to just 333 turnovers).

The 6'7" forward is under contract through the 2029-30 season at reasonable costs, which should be appealing to contenders. The Pelicans are a 2-9 mess who could be ready to trade veterans like Jones, Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray at the trade deadline to kick-start their rebuild.

They could also dangle Trey Murphy III, a much more dynamic three-and-D wing.

"I don’t know what Joe Dumars is doing in New Orleans, so maybe he’d dump Murphy to get Kuminga," Kawakami wrote. "The Warriors would do that in a split second and probably add things to the offer. I doubt Dumars would do it."

Murphy (25) is two years younger than Jones (27), so Murphy fits New Orleans' rebuilding timeline better.

What a Jones-Kuminga Trade Could Look Like

On Tuesday, I suggested this trade package to get a deal done:

Warriors receive: Herb Jones, Kevon Looney
Pelicans receive: Jonathan Kuminga, lottery-protected 2026 first-round pick

If the Pelicans really like Kuminga and view him as a potential long-term piece, they might not want any draft compensation in return. My guess is they'd want a draft asset in case Kuminga doesn't fit with their young core of Jeremiah Fears, Yves Missi and Derik Queen. The fact that Jones would likely be a hot commodity at the deadline suggests they would have some leverage on the Warriors to demand a premium pick.

The Warriors might balk at giving up a pick, but Jones might be the best they can do without having to attach multiple firsts, and they don't have the luxury of waiting until the offseason to canvas the league for a better player. Golden State is in win-now mode, so trading a bit extra now to help this team go on a deep playoff run is worth it.

Jones would likely start next to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green and Moses Moody. That lineup would have the highest defensive potential that the Warriors have had in a long time, and there would be enough shooting for the offense to be above-average.

Looney is needed to make the money work, but it's a nice bonus that he returns to the Warriors. He'd slot in ahead of Trayce Jackson-Davis on the center depth chart, and he'd be especially useful when Al Horford isn't playing.