Warriors May Be Less Likely To Trade Kuminga Now With Butler Out

A few weeks ago, if you asked anyone around the NBA who was the most likely player to be traded before the NBA trade deadline, their answer would have been Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga has been trying to get to a new team for over a year now, and the Warriors were actively shopping him around, looking for a good deal. 

Then, Jimmy Butler went down with an ACL tear, and everything changed. All of a sudden, the Warriors needed Kuminga and potentially couldn’t afford to lose him. 

Warriors’ insider Anthony Slater reported on ESPN  on the likelihood of Golden State moving Kuminga now that Butler is out. 

"Multiple team sources have described it as less likely Kuminga is moved following Jimmy Butler's right ACL tear. Prior to that injury, Kuminga was a $22.5 million wing rotting on the bench, having not seen the floor for 16 straight games. Without Butler, he's back in the mix, scoring 30 points in 30 bench minutes before the injury. There's internal conversation that he'd get another crack at minutes post-deadline—if he's still around. That has yet to be determined, though."

Unfortunately, in Kuminga’s second game back in the rotation, he got hurt as well. While it doesn’t seem like it’s anything major, it still could have an effect on his trade market. 

If the Warriors go through another trade deadline without dealing Kuminga, Warriors fans will be frustrated. The saga between Kuminga and the Warriors has dragged on for a while, and everyone believes that a divorce is the best outcome.

With recent rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially being on the trade block, who knows? The Warriors may end up trading both Butler and Kuminga to get a deal done.