Warriors Reportedly Refused to Trade Jonathan Kuminga For Two-Time NBA Champion

The Jonathan Kuminga saga has been a confusing one this offseason, and given all the conflicting reports, it must be very frustrating for Golden State Warriors fans. Unfortunately, it appears there is no end in sight, with the majority owner Joe Lacob reportedly wanting to keep the 22-year-old long-term.

That's led to a recent three-year offer for the former No. 7 overall pick, but as of right now, he's yet to accept, and may want to eventually take the qualifying offer to become a free agent in 2026.

This all could have ended quite some time ago, as a recent report from ESPN's Shams Charania revealed the Warriors refused to include Kuminga in a trade for a key NBA player.

According to Charania, the Warriors refused to include Kuminga in a deal that would see them land Alex Caruso from the Bulls, leading to him landing in Oklahoma City, where he would play a key role in the 2025 NBA Championship run. While it's impossible to say the Warriors would have duplicated that success with Caruso, it's a shock to look back on and see the Warriors making the moves they've made since missing out on this big trade.

Sure, at this point in time, the Warriors didn't know that Kuminga would become the headache he has, but on paper, this would have been a great deal for the team. Ultimately, we don't know what else was involved in the trade, but given the success Caruso had in Oklahoma City, the Warriors would no doubt be regretting the move to not include Kuminga in the deal.