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The Golden State Warriors have struggled to identify a sign-and-trade partner for Jonathan Kuminga this summer.
Although the Sacramento Kings appeared to be a viable destination for the 22-year-old forward, it doesn’t seem like the Dubs are closing in on a deal with the DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine-led Western Conference franchise.
In Bleacher Report’s Erik Beaston’s opinion, the Warriors could send Kuminga to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a four-time NBA champion forward.
“LeBron James has been the face of the Los Angeles Lakers since arriving in Hollywood in 2018,” Beaston wrote last Sunday. “He won the organization its first title in a decade in 2020 and turned in another strong performance last year in his age-40 season.”
“Still one of the league's elite, his best chance of winning a fifth NBA title is no longer in Los Angeles, where the front office is transitioning from a team centered around the best of his generation to one led by Luka Doncic.”
“Amid the all of the maneuvering going on behind the scenes with the Lakers, Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported for ESPN that the Golden State Warriors were one team that had reached out to Los Angeles about a potential deal for James.”
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“Any deal between the two teams would see the Warriors give up a substantial package for James, with Jonathan Kuminga likely included. Brandin Podziemski maybe another asset shipped off to Los Angeles, along with several draft picks.”
James’ status with the Lakers is uncertain as of mid-July. The 21-time All-Star reportedly isn’t thrilled with the way Los Angeles is operating, and his feelings are warranted.
It’s well-documented that James wasn’t present during a post-2024- 25 season meeting about the franchise's direction, and more shockingly, he wasn’t informed that the Lakers were planning to sell the franchise for $10 billion.
However, Doncic was present at the meeting and was given a heads-up about the historic sale, suggesting that the Lakers no longer view James as a long-term asset.
Considering James has been linked to the Warriors since the Lakers’ surprisingly mediocre start to this past NBA campaign, Beaston’s trade idea is far from ludicrous.
Joining forces with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler would allow James to move on from a franchise that doesn’t prioritize him and make a late-career championship push alongside three potential Hall of Famers.
From the Warriors’ perspective, the seven-time champions would have the luxury of parting ways with Kuminga while positioning themselves for a successful season in the vaunted Western Conference.
James averaged 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game in Year 22, shooting 51.3% from the field and 37.6% from three-point land.
It’ll be interesting to see if Golden State employs its best persuasion tactics to lure the former No. 1 overall pick away from Los Angeles this offseason.
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