Jonathan Kuminga

Pacific Notes: Warriors’ Lineup, Kerr, Bridges, Barnes

The Warriors dropped a little further in the Western Conference playoff race on Saturday, but coach Steve Kerr might have a lineup that’s capable of saving the season, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Slater notes that Draymond Green has been outstanding since returning from his suspension and is no longer on a minutes restriction. He logged 46 minutes in last night’s double-overtime game, and the team was plus-31 when he was on the court and minus-32 without him.

Green has taken over as the starting center, with Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins as the forwards. The Kuminga-Wiggins tandem was terrible earlier in the season, but Green’s defensive presence and ball-handling skills are making the combination work. Slater notes that the three of them are plus-41 in their minutes together since Green’s return.

“We’re trying to maximize the number of possessions that those guys play together,” Kerr said. “We’re in a position now with Wiggs playing at a high level and JK having come around, Klay (Thompson), (Stephen Curry), Draymond back after the suspension. We’re in a position where we can put those guys together and it’s probably our best five.”

Their success together likely minimizes any chance that Wiggins or Kuminga will be traded before the February 8 deadline.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Kerr found a quasi-diplomatic way to express his displeasure with the officiating after the Warriors fell to the Lakers Saturday night, Slater adds. “My Mom is here and I want to be on my best behavior,” Kerr said. “So I’m not going to comment on the 43 free throws to our 16. I’m not going to comment on Steph shooting three free throws in 43 minutes.” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic was fined $25K for complaining about the free-throw discrepancy in a loss to L.A. earlier this month.
  • Amid rumors that the Suns are confident about their chances of acquiring Miles Bridges from the Hornets, Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports argues against the move, saying the organization shouldn’t be considering someone with Bridges’ history of domestic violence. Bourguet also speculates that Phoenix hasn’t moved on Bridges already because it fears a backlash from fans.
  • With Kings forward Harrison Barnes frequently mentioned in trade speculation, James Ham of Kings Beat (subscription required) looks at how Barnes’ recent scoring outbursts might affect his future with the team.

Warriors Rumors: Kuminga, Wiggins, Defense, Draymond

The Warriors are happy with Jonathan Kuminga‘s development this season and aren’t inclined to trade him at the February 8 deadline, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said in a conversation with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater on the HoopsHype podcast. It would likely require an “overpay” of draft picks or a deal that returns an All-Star caliber player to get Golden State to consider moving Kuminga, according to Scotto.

Slater essentially agrees with that assessment, noting that one reason the Warriors would be hesitant to move the former lottery pick is that they value him more than the rest of the NBA does. However, as Slater notes, the league-wide perception of Kuminga is likely rising based on how he’s performed lately.

As Slater wrote at The Athletic, in the Warriors’ emotional first game back on Wednesday following the death of assistant coach Dejan Milojevic, Kuminga had a perfect night, scoring 25 points on 11-of-11 shooting to help lead Golden State to a 22-point win. On Thursday vs. Sacramento, Kuminga racked up a season-high 31 points in 30 minutes and was a +16 in a game the team lost by one point.

The Warriors’ investment in Kuminga is paying dividends, according to Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic, who hears from his own sources that the team doesn’t plan to trade the third-year forward and never did.

While Kuminga’s standing in Golden State looked shaky just a few weeks ago when Slater and Shams Charania reported that he had lost faith in head coach Steve Kerr, the 21-year-old has felt better about his situation since meeting with Kerr in the wake of that report, per Slater. Now he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career and cementing his place in the Warriors’ future.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

  • Scotto and Slater discussed several more Warriors-related topics and rumors in the HoopsHype podcast, including Andrew Wiggins‘ trade market, why Golden State values Chris Paul as more than just an expiring contract, Steve Kerr‘s desire to continue coaching the Warriors beyond this season, and Slater’s belief that Klay Thompson will re-sign with the team in the summer. Regarding Wiggins, both Scotto and Slater have heard whispers about the Mavericks potentially having interest in the former No. 1 overall pick.
  • Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said during an NBC Sports Bay Area appearance on Thursday that he continues to evaluate the roster and to consider possible trade opportunities. Dunleavy admitted that the defense has “struggled” and is an area the team wants to “shore up,” but said that won’t necessarily happen on the trade market. “A lot of times, it’s hard at the trade deadline to bring in a player or players that are just going to dramatically improve your defense,” Dunleavy said, per Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Look, if that player is available, we’ll look to pursue it. … (But) I think it’s got to come from within. And that comes from everybody. That’s coaches, that’s players, that’s the whole deal of we’ve got to tighten this thing up and find a way to be better defensively because, frankly, offensively, we’ve been great.” Two of the Warriors’ top defenders, Draymond Green and Gary Payton II, have missed significant time this season.
  • Green has come off the bench in all three games since returning from his suspension, but Slater notes (via Twitter) that Kerr quickly subbed in the former Defensive Player of the Year just three minutes into the second half on Thursday. That might have been Green’s last half out of the starting five, Slater adds.

Fischer’s Latest: Tucker, Suns, Warriors, Mavs, Blazers, Graham

After being traded from Philadelphia to the Clippers earlier this season, veteran forward P.J. Tucker is a “strong” candidate to be moved again ahead of the February 8 deadline, says Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

According to Fischer, Washington is viewed as a potential trade destination for Tucker, who would likely be bought out if he’s sent to the Wizards. In that scenario, the Suns and Bucks would be among the teams expected to pursue the 38-year-old on the buyout market, Fischer adds.

Tucker is earning $11MM this season, with an $11.5MM player option for 2024/25, so unless he gives up a significant portion of his remaining money in a buyout agreement, he’d still have a real impact on his team’s salary cap for next season. With that in mind, the Wizards (or another trade partner) would presumably want a solid asset or two as a sweetener to take on his contract, especially if they’re also giving up a rotation-caliber player in the process.

Here’s more from Fischer:

  • The Suns are one of the more active teams on the trade market and have explored what a package that includes Grayson Allen and Nassir Little could bring back, Fischer reports. Those efforts are complicated by the fact that Phoenix’s draft assets consist of just four second-round picks, according to Fischer, who points out too that Allen has been arguably the team’s most important players outside of its three stars.
  • Although the Warriors and Mavericks have displayed interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Golden State has shown little desire to part with either Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody, Fischer writes. As for the Mavs, they’ve been linked to many forwards, per Fischer, including Andrew Wiggins, P.J. Washington of the Hornets, and former Mav Dorian Finney-Smith, now a member of the Nets.
  • Jerami Grant is the sort of player who would appeal to teams like the Mavericks and Kings, but the Trail Blazers aren’t expected to seriously consider offers for the veteran forward, according to Fischer. Portland guard Malcolm Brogdon, on the other hand, is viewed as a more viable trade candidate.
  • In addition to veterans like Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman, who were previously identified as trade candidates, guard Devonte’ Graham is another Spurs player who is available via trade, sources tell Fischer. Graham has been out of San Antonio’s rotation all season and has a $12.1MM cap hit for this season, with a $2.85MM partial guarantee for 2024/25, so he presumably won’t have positive value.

Western Notes: Kuminga, Moody, Suns, Mavs, Hawkins

While the Warriors appear open to various trade possibilities, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic hears Golden State’s front office isn’t actively shopping 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.

According to Vecenie’s sources, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. places a high value on both young players and prefers to keep them, but he also recognizes that other teams value them as well. It remains to be seen how things will shake out over the next three-plus weeks until the February 8 deadline.

Vecenie’s full article focuses on this season’s trade candidates, with Pascal Siakam, Dejounte Murray and Zach LaVine at the top of his trade board.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

  • The Suns‘ “big three” rotation was slow to form with all three players dealing with various injuries in 2023/24, particularly Bradley Beal, who has been limited to 15 games thus far. However, in recent games, head coach Frank Vogel seems to have settled on a substitution pattern he likes, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details.
  • Star guard Luka Doncic will miss Monday’s game vs. New Orleans — his third straight absence — due to a right ankle sprain, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter). Starting forward Derrick Jones Jr. is a new addition to the injury report — he’s sidelined with a right calf contusion. Rookie center Dereck Lively, meanwhile, will return from a five-game absence after dealing with a left ankle sprain, and Maxi Kleber will be active for the second straight contest after a lengthy absence due to a toe injury.
  • With the Pelicans near full strength, rookie guard Jordan Hawkins had received erratic playing time of late. That changed in a major way during Saturday’s victory over Dallas, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson all missed the contest — the second of a back-to-back — for various reasons, creating an opening for Hawkins, who responded with a career-high 34 points (on 11-of-19 shooting), five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes. “I was just playing basketball,” Hawkins said. “Early in the season, I got a chance to play a lot. I wasn’t really nervous or anything. I looked at it like, ‘I’m going to hoop and show what I can do.’ No CJ, Trey, BI or Z. I knew the shots were going to be there. I just had to make them.”

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Podziemski, Curry, Green

Draymond Green is expected to return from his suspension this week, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr will have to keep finding minutes for Jonathan Kuminga, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga is coming off the best back-to-back scoring performances of his career, delivering 28 points on Saturday in Milwaukee after putting up 24 points on Friday at Chicago. Despite seeing his role change frequently throughout the first half of the season, Kuminga has reached double figures in scoring in 19 straight games.

“I wouldn’t say (that statistic) impressed me,” Kuminga said. “I had all summer to go out there and work out, get better, come back and help the team. Obviously, things haven’t gone the right way (in wins and losses). But you can see a lot of progress. … In the past, I’d just put my head down. But now … if I attack and I don’t have nothing (there), I can’t score, kick the ball to someone who’s open.”

Green is expected back by Monday at Memphis or Wednesday at Utah, which will complicate rotation decisions for Kerr, who is already trying to balance Kuminga, Kevon LooneyTrayce Jackson-DavisDario Saric and Andrew Wiggins. Kuminga seems like the only potential star in that group, and Slater notes that he has become Golden State’s best interior scorer, posting 284 points in the paint for a team that doesn’t have anyone else above 200.

“We’re showing him clips every day trying to get him to get to the rim,” Kerr said. “Especially without the ball. He wants to attack. Which is great. But we’re trying to get him to understand if he gets to the dunker spot, finishes his cuts rather than staying at the foul line, it improves our spacing and he’ll pick off two or three buckets per game getting to the dunker, going to the offensive glass and running to that spot in transition or after a screen. His tendency now is to linger on the perimeter. I want him at the rim. He’s one of the best in the league finishing when he gets the ball in the paint.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in his first career game in his hometown, Slater adds. He was the only Warriors player with a cheering section at Fiserv Forum. “Ran into my seventh-grade English teacher pregame,” Podziemski said. “She said she’s glad I went to military school or else I’d be a troublemaker. … I was actually here the day this building opened. I was a sophomore in high school. I got to meet Giannis (Antetokounmpo).”
  • Stephen Curry sat out Saturday on the second game of a back-to-back, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “He’s just wiped out right now,” Kerr said. “He’s basically been healthy all year and we’ve been relying on him heavily. He’s worn out. He needs the night off.”
  • Green has acted as an unofficial assistant coach since rejoining the team this week, but the Warriors need him back on the court, observes Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News. Since Green began serving his suspension, Golden State’s defensive rating has been 123.8, which is the second-worst mark in the league during that time, ahead of only Detroit’s 125.1 rating.

Trade Rumors: Suns, Biggest Needs, Warriors, Lewis, More

Instead of focusing on acquiring a true point guard for their roster, the Suns are more interested in trying to bring in an athletic wing, NBA on TNT’s Chris Haynes said during a broadcast (via Inside The Suns).

A lot of people will point to a point guard, but in talking with the Suns they believe that with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, they feel like they need the ball in their hands. They feel like they don’t need another point guard that’s going to take the ball away [from their stars],” Haynes said during the broadcast.

It’s unclear what specific players the Suns are targeting but Haynes expects the market to heat up in the near future, which could provide some clarity.

Obviously around this time of year, this is when things start to get serious,” Haynes said. “Right now teams are posturing — there’s not a whole lot of sellers right now, but I expect things to change over the next week or so. I think things will really get serious.

We have more trade rumors from around the league:

  • Staffers from The Athletic pooled together to break down what all 30 teams in the league should be targeting at the trade deadline. The article mostly focuses on archetypes of players, with Doug Haller agreeing with the notion the Suns need another perimeter defender. Some writers gave specific trade targets for teams, with Andrew Schlect identifying Utah’s Kelly Olynyk and Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale as two targets who make sense for the Thunder.
  • In the same article, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater writes the Warriors have “poked around” the center market and could dangle Chris Paul‘s expiring salary. Slater also believes Andrew Wiggins is more likely to be traded at the deadline than Jonathan Kuminga.
  • A trade involving Pelicans guard Kira Lewis Jr. to avoid the luxury tax feels “inevitable,” according to The Athletic’s William Guillory. While that’s speculation, it has been obvious for months that such a move makes sense. If the Pelicans do move on from Lewis, they should target shooting in return, Guillory writes. Otherwise, he expects New Orleans to have a relatively quiet deadline unless something changes in the next few weeks.
  • Some recent acquisitions haven’t panned out the way teams may have thought when signing or trading for them, and those teams could look to move said players. The Athletic’s Jay King and Jared Weiss write the Celtics could use another option on the wing since Oshae Brissett hasn’t taken a stranglehold on a rotation spot. Signing Shake Milton hasn’t panned out for the Timberwolves‘ bench, Jon Krawczynski writes, and the team needs more bench scoring as a result. Other recent acquisitions who haven’t quite played up to expectations and could be on the move or supplanted, per The Athletic’s staffers, include the ClippersP.J. Tucker and Jock Landale of the Rockets.
  • The Wizards have a number of players who could appeal to contending teams, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, including Tyus Jones, Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. Robbins writes the goal in any trade, along with obtaining first-round picks, should be to get young prospects who haven’t been able to crack rotations on other teams.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Curry, Zubac, Beal

In search of answers after a poor stretch of games, the Warriors made another change to their starting lineup on Friday night, with Dario Saric replacing Jonathan Kuminga, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney were the other four starters.

Golden State gave up 75 points to the Bulls at half, which was a season-high for Chicago, and trailed by 13 after two periods. But the Warriors rebounded with a 48-20 third quarter and wound up winning by nine.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

  • Curry has been in a slump of late for the Warriors, and it’s clear the ups and downs of the season have been wearing on him, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I feel like we’ve been in this situation for the last two years,” Curry said. “Even in the championship year, we started 18-2 and then we had some rough patches like this where we struggled mightily. These last couple of years have been rough because of all the noise and distractions, because of the lack of consistency on the court. At least last year we had enough to scare somebody. But we’re far from that right now.”
  • Center Ivica Zubac has been playing an important role during the Clippers‘ surge up the standings, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The eight-year veteran is averaging career highs in multiple categories this season and has formed a strong two-man game on offense with James Harden while anchoring the paint defensively. “I knew I could play in that pocket, that I could be a roll man on offense and defense,” said Zubac. “I’m confident in my game a lot, so I’ve always been confident. But right now, it’s at a high level.”
  • Suns guard Bradley Beal had his best game of the season during Thursday’s victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles, recording 37 point (on 14-of-21 shooting, including 8-of-10 from deep), six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes. In a story for Sportskeeda, Mark Medina describes Beal’s transition to Phoenix, writing that the three-time All-Star has drawn rave reviews for fitting in so well with the team, despite dealing with injuries for much of 2023/24. “Brad is one of the best players in the world,” Kevin Durant said. “To see an opportunity to see that close up and see a guy every day and see who he truly is as a player and then you come out there and get moments like that, that’s always fun. I enjoy seeing my teammates cook like that. We’re going to need more from him because that ignites the bench and it ignites the crowd, even if we’re on the road.”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Trade Deadline, Thompson, Green, Kerr

There was talk about the need for change Wednesday night as the Warriors‘ season continued to spin out of control with an embarrassing home loss to the Pelicans, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. The game was never close after Golden State allowed 46 points in the first quarter, and fans loudly expressed their displeasure as the team suffered its worst home loss in 17 years.

“You get to a point where you’re trying to explain it, trying to figure out what can change specifically that can help us,” Stephen Curry said. “Those conversations are happening in between games, in film sessions, in the locker room. But it’s headed in the opposite direction. I don’t know what to say about it. We’re not used to this vibe around our team. … It all sucks.”

Andrews points out that after Draymond Green was suspended four weeks ago, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said the next 15-20 games would determine the course of the season. Wednesday marked the Warriors’ 14th straight game without Green, and they’ve fallen to 12th in the Western Conference standings at 17-20. Andrews notes that none of coach Steve Kerr’s lineup changes are working and he appeared to be out of answers after the latest loss.

“We are lacking confidence,” he said. “You get to a stage where you lose your belief.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Tim Kawakami of The Athletic lays out a blueprint for what the organization might do before the trade deadline arrives in four weeks. Kawakami expects management to remain committed to Curry as the centerpiece of the team, with a goal of finding the right pieces to go around him for next season. Andrew Wiggins is likely to be moved, according to Kawakami, even if Golden State has to attach a young player or a first-round pick to get someone to take his contract. He adds that the organization would prefer to hold onto its prospects, but Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis are all looking like complementary players rather than future stars. Kawakami also suggests that the front office might be willing to gamble on a deal for Toronto’s Pascal Siakam if they don’t have to part with Kuminga, or they may seek a reliable big man to change their style of play.
  • Two long-time franchise staples might not have secure futures beyond this season, Kawakami adds in the same piece. He expects the Warriors to let Klay Thompson play out his contract and see if they can agree to terms in free agency this summer, and he speculates that the organization may no longer be counting on Green long-term after this year’s suspension issues.
  • Erik Spoelstra’s eight-year extension in Miami could affect negotiations with Kerr this offseason, states Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle. He observes that Kerr is in position to demand a higher annual salary than the Heat gave to Spoelstra, but it’s not clear if management will be on board considering the team’s current trajectory.

Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Wiggins, Ham, LeBron, Kings, Siakam

While there’s “zero indication” that the Warriors would consider trading a longtime franchise cornerstone such as Klay Thompson or Draymond Green at next month’s deadline, there’s a “rising belief” among rival front offices that the team is open to the idea of moving Andrew Wiggins, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack story.

The Warriors are believed to be averse to the idea of moving young forward Jonathan Kuminga, who is reportedly viewed as a potential star who can help them win both now and in the future. But, as has been well documented, the team hasn’t been effective when Kuminga and Wiggins have shared the floor together this season.

As Stein writes, it’s not clear what sort of value Wiggins would have on the trade market at this point. The former No. 1 overall pick was integral in helping Golden State win a title in 2022, and his four-year, $109MM contract was viewed as team-friendly when it was signed. But he’s having the worst year of his NBA career in 2023/24 — his 11.9 points per game would be a career low, as would his 29.7% three-point mark.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Based on what he has heard, Stein says things would likely have to get significantly worse for the Lakers for Darvin Ham‘s job to be in any serious danger. Ham said last week that he was “aligned” with team owner Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, and Stein hears the same things from his sources, writing that the head coach has “very strong support” from those organizational leaders.
  • Despite the Lakers‘ struggles this season and some speculation from a few media members, there’s no indication that star forward LeBron James has “a shred of interest” in trying to force a trade out of Los Angeles, Stein says. One source tells Stein that the Lakers – who will play eight of their next nine games in L.A. – hope to “ride out this storm” and right the ship during a home-heavy stretch of the schedule.
  • Revisiting the Kingsrecent trade talks for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Shams Charania of The Athletic said during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run It Back (Twitter video link) that Sacramento had hoped to get a deal done “sooner rather than later” and that the Kings had a specific package they were willing to give up for Siakam. With Toronto unwilling to accept that offer at this point, the Kings ended those discussions, which will likely only resume if the Raptors come back to the table to reengage, says Charania.
  • Charania adds that the Kings‘ offer for Siakam “revolved around” Harrison Barnes. Presumably Charania means it centered around Barnes from a salary-matching perspective rather than a value perspective, since Barnes’ trade value compared to Siakam’s is extremely low.

Warriors Notes: Wiggins, Kuminga, Green, Myers

The Warriors haven’t been effective with Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga on the court together, but their athletic potential is so tantalizing that coach Steve Kerr tried the combination again Sunday night, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Kerr employed his 13th different starting lineup of the season, using Wiggins and Kuminga as the forwards, but the results were disappointing again as Toronto jumped to an early 24-12 lead that Golden State was never able to overcome.

“We’ve talked about trying to get (Wiggins and Kuminga) together,” Kerr said. “Theoretically our two longest, most athletic players. We have not been a good defensive team this year, so we wanted to try it. It hasn’t connected, really. But we’re experimenting. We’re trying to find a two-way lineup that can help us. But obviously that lineup didn’t click.”

Kerr pulled the plug on the experiment by intermission, as the Raptors scored 76 first-half points and held a 27-point lead. He replaced Wiggins, Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis with Brandin PodziemskiDario Saric and Kevon Looney to start the third quarter.

“I didn’t want to go back to the same lineup,” Kerr said. “The only thing I was interested in in the second half was just competing. What that means — you can say compete, but what does that mean? It means talking on defense. I didn’t hear anything. It was silent in the first half. We needed to have some talk, some chatter. So I went with that lineup because I felt they would give us that.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

  • Kerr will have to juggle his rotation even more when Draymond Green returns, Slater adds. Green, whose suspension was lifted Saturday after 12 games, was in the arena with his teammates Sunday night. Green is expected to miss at least one more game while working on his conditioning, according to Slater, but he should be back on the court by the end of the week.
  • With the trade deadline now just a month away, the front office is facing a crucial decision on Kuminga, who likely has the highest value of any of the Warriors’ available players, notes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Kuminga’s athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect for rival teams, and he’s only 21 with another year remaining on his rookie contract. There are no signs that management will consider breaking up the long-standing trio of Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Poole adds.
  • The NFL’s Washington Commanders have hired former Warriors general manager Bob Myers as part of their search team for a new head of football operations and head coach, per Adrian Wojnarowski and Adam Schefter of ESPN. Myers, who left Golden State when his contract expired last summer, will be part of an advisory committee that also includes former NBA star Magic Johnson. Myers will continue his studio work with ESPN on NBA games.