The Golden State Warriors are 22-19, holding the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Things could be worse, but they could also be a lot better for a team trying desperately to stay in the mix before their championship window closes. Their one big lever for taking a leap during the season is finally ... finally ... finally trading Jonathan Kuminga.
They couldn't find a trade they liked for him this offseason and re-signed him, hoping they'd find something better once the season started. He hasn't played since Dec. 18 and his trade value isn't going to increase. Looking around the league, it's hard to imagine anyone new coming to the table, and the Warriors are almost certainly going to have to take a deal they don't feel great about. But that doesn't mean there aren't options that could make them better in both the short- and long-term.
For example ...
Golden State Warriors receive: Nikola Vučević, Jalen Smith and a Portland's 2026 first-round pick
Chicago Bulls receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Quinten Post, Gui Santos
Why the Warriors would trade Jonathan Kuminga for so little
The short answer is they don't have a choice. Kuminga hasn't been playing while they wait to find a trade, he's essentially dead money and a wasted roster spot. In the short-term, anyone who can play meaningful minutes right now is an upgrade. The problem is that there just aren't that many suitors for Kuminga. Sacramento and Chicago are the teams who have been mentioned most often in rumors, but the Warriors don't want to take back Malik Monk's contract from the Kings, which leaves Chicago.
Golden State would have been better off trading Kuminga at any point in the last two years before they eroded all their leverage and completely crashed his trade value. But this deal at least squeezes some lemonade from the lemon orchard they've grown for themselves.
Vučević is 35 and wasn't even a good defender in his prime. But he's also an expiring contract and a 7-footer who is averaging 16.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc. He can punish mismatches in the post, but he's also more than comfortable spacing the floor out to the 3-point line, screening away from the ball or just acting as a facilitation hub at the elbow. He probably makes their defense worse but their offense a lot better, and in terms of net impact, should be a huge upgrade over Quinten Post who has been forced into a ton of minutes with Al Horford out.
Jalen Smith is also another nice get, with only one more year left on his deal after this. His decision-making can be shaky, but he's a bouncy 6-foot-8 shot-blocker who can play the 4 or the 5 and has 3-point range. The Trail Blazers' pick the Warriors get isn't all that valuable — it's top-14 protected in 2026, 2027 and 2028, and then it converts to a second-round pick if it hasn't conveyed yet. But there's a decent chance the Blazers make the playoffs at least once in the next three years, and many of the packages they could theoretically get for Kuminga wouldn't include a pick at all.
In terms of talent and upside, the Warriors are getting pennies on the dollar. But their backs are against the wall and something like this may legitimately be the best they can find for Kuminga. They get some badly needed frontcourt depth and a big boost to their league-average offense, along with a first-round pick, all without taking back any real long-term money. That alone may be enough to get them out of Play-In range and into the playoffs proper. From there, anything can happen.
Why the Chicago Bulls would trade for Jonathan Kuminga
I am not at all convinced that Kuminga and Josh Giddey are the core of a future playoff team, but the Bulls seem enamored of Kuminga's potential. And honestly, the cost here is so low that it's almost certainly worth a try.
Vučević is an unrestricted free agent. Smith is fun and useful right now, but not a long-term piece. They're giving up a first-round pick, but one that will never be in the lottery, and in a draft where they still have their own pick. They're probably worse over the rest of this season, maybe moving their own pick up the lottery odds, but they're not giving up anything that really matters for next year or beyond. In exchange, they get to kick the tires on a 23-year-old, athletic wing, with playoff experience, a track record of decent production and the potential to perform better for a coaching staff he actually trusts.
They'd also have the club option for his contract next season, and could conceivably shop him against at the deadline next year if they don't like what they see or decide they don't want to pay the high-dollar extension he's looking for. This trade might not have transformational upside, but the risk is essentially zero.