Warriors face Kuminga uncertainty, Kings draw scrutiny, and other trade buzz across the league
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Golden State Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga’s place in Steve Kerr’s rotation remains fluid, shifting from starter to reserve while a recent knee issue added another layer of instability, league sources told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. An Eastern Conference scout said the 23-year-old forward “has looked better and has been trying to fit in, but he still falls back into his old habits.”
Finding a trade partner appears challenging because Golden State is pressed against the second tax apron and is unwilling to “give away” a young forward, the scout added. “Who is going to take him? … It’s very hard to find a trade that makes sense for everyone.”
Sacramento Kings
Rival scouts are monitoring assistant coach Doug Christie’s job security and wondering whether Sacramento will entertain offers for veterans such as Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine, according to the report. One Eastern Conference scout called the Kings’ 2023-24 start “a disaster” and suggested the team is “going nowhere fast … expensive, bad and aging.”
League-wide notes
• Executives believe any Anthony Davis trade before the deadline—should the Dallas Mavericks pursue one—would resemble the return Phoenix sent for Kevin Durant: “a couple solid players and one first-round pick” rather than a haul of multiple firsts, Bontemps reported. Some around the league view the Chicago Bulls as a potential suitor because of Davis’s local ties.
• A Western Conference executive noted that Josh Giddey “has worked well with Vucevic” in Chicago but “could use a roll man to throw it up to,” referencing how Davis might fit alongside the Bulls’ center.
• Ja Morant may face a similar market. Front offices expect the Memphis Grizzlies to explore possibilities yet remain skeptical the team will find an offer it prefers.
• Lauri Markkanen is attracting interest after rebounding from a down season. The Utah Jazz forward is averaging 30.6 points on high efficiency, and a Western Conference executive said his value is “soaring” as Utah funnels its offense through him. “If he goes to a place that he’s an additive piece—you have to have the right team around him to go after him.”
Source: Hoops Wire
