The Golden State Warriors have been urged to trade Jonathan Kuminga for Trey Murphy III, the New Orleans Pelicans’ 3-and-D star that they reportedly covet.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes the Warriors should include two first-round picks, along with Kuminga, to entice a Pelicans team undergoing a mini-rebuild. The sign-and-trade scenario would require the Pelicans to sign Kuminga to a contract.
Warriors would receive: Trey Murphy III
Pelicans would receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Two first-round picks (2026, 2032)
The writer argued that Murphy, who made 3.0 threes per game in his last two seasons, would be a tremendous fit on a Warriors team that plays with pace and space. Unlike Kuminga, who thrives with the ball in his hands, Murphy has the catch-and-shoot ability to play next to Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green.
“Murphy is an efficient, high-volume shooter who’s beginning to deliver star-level impact for the Pelicans, so trading him for Kuminga, who doesn’t fit their new-look roster in the slightest, sounds like an instant turn-off.”
Kuminga Can Thrive in NOLA
“Murphy is the perfect schematic fit for Golden State on the wing. He can bomb 3s from well behind the arc and benefit from the gravity of Curry and Butler. His play style is far more aligned with Steve Kerr’s values than Kuminga,” Kline added.
The writer argued that Kuminga could find his footing on the Pelicans, who traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors earlier this year, and could use another ball-handler and slasher to play next to Zion Williamson.
“In New Orleans, Kuminga gets to take on a larger role. I’d pay good money to watch Zion Williamson slowly lose his mind as Kuminga and Poole trade isos. On a more serious note, New Orleans would have a ton of athleticism and natural scoring ability on the roster. How it all meshes together is unclear, but given Dumars’ track record to date, it’s safe to say that the Hall of Fame shooting guard and new Pelicans GM probably likes the Kuminga archetype.”
Warriors Covet Trey Murphy III
According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Warriors’ interest in Murphy dates back to the 2021 NBA Draft when they selected Moses Moody with the No. 14 pick. The decision meant that Murphy slipped to 17, allowing the Pelicans to draft hm.
“Trey Murphy in New Orleans is someone the Warriors really have interest in,” Fischer said on Bleacher Report’s Insider Notebook. “They really, really need Kuminga from an asset management standpoint at a number north of $8 million in average annual value. They need him far closer to that 20, 25, maybe even $30 million salary threshold.”
The insider added that the Warriors reached out to the Pelicans this offseason, but were rebuffed.
“Sources say that the Pelicans, to be clear, have batted away calls for the 25-year-old, valuing him highly,” Fischer reported in August on The Stein Line newsletter. “The two-way forward will be playing on a contract in 2025-26—at precisely $25 million—as desirable as his talent.”
While Murphy averaged 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season, Kuminga posted 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Warriors. Despite belonging to the same draft class, Kuminga is three years younger and thus has more upside.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Warriors Urged to Trade Kuminga for Coveted 3-And-D Star appeared first on Heavy Sports.