If Jonathan Kuminga wants to get out of Steve Kerr’s doghouse and spread his wings, the Washington Wizards are an ideal landing spot for him in a potential sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey is pushing for the Wizards to take a flier on the former No. 7 pick.
Bailey’s trade proposal:
Golden State Warriors receive: Marcus Smart and Corey Kispert
Washington Wizards receive: Jonathan Kuminga
“Marcus Smart is another potential risk on the health front, but his defense and willingness to move the ball would make him an easy fit with Golden State’s ethos. And Corey Kispert could give them another potential game-changing outside shooter,” Bailey wrote.
Smart, a former NBA All-Defensive Player of the Year, has been derailed by injuries ever since the Boston Celtics shipped him out in 2023. He has only appeared in 54 games over the past two seasons.
Joining a contender filled with championship-savvy veterans might just be what he needs to get his career back on track.
The 6-foot-7 Kispert, who averaged 2.8 threes per 75 possessions for his career, fits the need for the Warriors to have more shooters around Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
The Tricky Part of a Jonathan Kuminga Sign-and-Trade
In a sign-and-trade scenario, Kuminga’s starting salary in a new contract will only account for half of the outgoing trade. So, if Kuminga signs for the $35 million annual salary his camp sought in their failed extension talks with the Warriors last year, per The Athletic, only $17.5 million will count as outgoing salary.
Smart and Kispert combines for $35 million. The Warriors might have to add a salary filler, presumably Buddy Hield ($9.2 million) and the Wizards might have to give more, potentially a draft capital.
This could be a chance for the Warriors to re-negotiate to have their top-20 protected 2030 first-round selection (owed to the Wizards in the Chris Paul–Jordan Poole deal) change instead to a second-round pick. Re-negotiating that would open more possibilities for Warriors as they will have four unprotected first-round picks at their disposal for a bigger trade down the road.
Warriors to Explore Sign-and-Trade for Jonathan Kuminga
Getty Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr shakes hands with Jonathan Kuminga.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Marcus Thompson II, Kuminga returning next season to Golden State remains a possibility.
“But both sides are expected to explore sign-and-trade scenarios, those sources said, which would open up the market and theoretically give Kuminga the contract and fresh start he’d desire while bringing the Warriors back rotation players of immediate value. The Warriors’ decision-makers believe they need more positional size across the board — center and otherwise,” Amick and Thompson wrote.
The writing’s on the wall for Kuminga.
The fourth-year forward had six DNPs over the Warriors’ last 14 games. He only played when Curry or Butler was not available during the playoffs, leading to more questions about his long-term future with the Warriors.
Kuminga was a revelation in the final four games of the Stephen Curry-less Warriors, averaging 24.3 points on 55.4% overall shooting and 38.9% from the 3-point line.
But despite Kuminga’s explosive scoring, the Warriors lost all those games against a healthy and athletic Minnesota Timberwolves team.
