With the 2023 NBA Draft almost upon us, the NBA rumors are flying out of control across the entire league. We have already seen a massive blockbuster trade this week involving Bradley Beal heading to the Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul being shipped to the Washington Wizards. Could the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors be the next trade partners to hook up on a big deal involving young forward Jonathan Kuminga?
Over the past couple of weeks, rumors have been swirling around both teams. For Indiana, the rumors have consisted of the team’s desire to trade picks to acquire more talent. On the other hand, the Warriors have been rumored to be shopping young players like Jordan Poole and Kuminga.
In this scenario, the Pacers would be taking a look at acquiring Kuminga from Golden State.
According to Rafael Barlowe of NBA Big Board, the Pacers have interest in trading for Kuminga.
“Indiana has been linked to Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga and could look to strike a deal for the former No. 7 pick, who fell out of the Warriors’ rotation in the postseason.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors & Jonathan Kuminga Updates
Barlowe went on to discuss what the Warriors would want in return. The Pacers’ sending Myles Turner back would be the best fit according to him.
“The Warriors don’t need or want another young player who needs minutes to develop. I see them moving Kuminga for a veteran that can play in the frontcourt because there aren’t many minutes from 1 to 3. Myles Turner is the name that makes the most sense, but I don’t know how they’d get that deal done.”
Kuminga is coming off of a solid all-around 2022-23 NBA campaign in his second year. He ended up averaging 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. In addition to those averages, Kuminga shot 52.5 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 37 percent of his three-point attempts.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Indiana Pacers, Golden State Warriors & Jonathan Kuminga Updates
At just 20 years of age, pursuing a trade for Jonathan Kuminga would make perfect sense for the Pacers. He would fit into their timeline and provide a player who could step in and make a major impact right off the bat. In fact, he could end up being their starting power forward right away.
For the Warriors, being able to acquire more draft capital or a piece like Turner would be a win.
Expect to continue hearing a ton of rumors in the coming hours and days. The Pacers and Warriors may not come together on a trade involving Kuminga, but it’s certainly something to watch.
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