Warriors Trade Proposal Moves Jonathan Kuminga for Heat Fan Favorite

The Golden State Warriors will have a tough decision to make with Jonathan Kuminga. While allowing Kuminga to walk in restricted free agency might be the better plan, the Warriors also have an opportunity to sign and trade him. If anything, that might be the best idea, depending on who they get in return. 

Recently searching for potential targets for the Warriors to do that with, Will Eudy recently proposed the idea of them trading for Haywood Highsmith of the Miami Heat. He added that Highsmith would be perfect with the way the Warriors run their offense, and instead of getting a third star, he could be a complementary piece to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. 

“This past season, we saw Highsmith continue to blossom into one of the more effective perimeter defenders in the NBA. He has the physical tools to handle skilled guards on defense and holds up well when switches come into play. Frankly, that’s the kind of versatility that the Warriors should be looking for headed into next season. 

“But what’s even better about Highsmith is that he’s just the type of low usage player on offense who can be effective while allowing his stars to operate at their maximum efficiency. He moves extremely well without the ball and is always looking to make an impact even without the rock in his hands. On a team like the Warriors where ball movement should be a priority, this becomes that much more valuable,” Eudy wrote.

Miami Reportedly Looking to Shake up Their Roster

According to the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat have been looking to move on from Highsmith. While they haven’t necessarily made him available in trades and are attempting to just trade him, it was reported by The Herald that they were willing to offer him in a deal involving Kevin Durant. 

For the Golden State Warriors, that should at least mean he’s available.

“The Heat’s final offer included Andrew Wiggins, Terry Rozier, two bench players and the 20th pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft,” Jackson and Chiang wrote. “Haywood Highsmith and Jaime Jaquez Jr. were discussed as those two additional pieces in Miami’s offer, the source said.”

What Will the Warriors Do With Kuminga?

Ultimately, the Golden State Warriors will have the final say on what they want to do with Kuminga. When speaking to reporters about the situation, General Manager Mike Dunleavy admitted that he loves Kuminga and feels pretty comfortable with who he is as a player. He added that it’s a main priority for them to figure out during the offseason.

“I also acknowledge, with restricted free agency, these things can drag out a little bit and take some time,” Dunleavy added, per the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think we feel pretty comfortable with who JK is as a player and what he can do for our organization. … It’s a main priority going into free agency.”

The Warriors will have a bit more time to figure things out, but soon, things will be tough. If they allow Kuminga to walk for nothing, they might regret it. If they were able to have somebody like Highsmith, who proved to be a valuable option on a bad Heat team last year, it’s possible they could be ecstatic with that.

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