Despite having a 16-4 record since trading for Jimmy Butler, the Golden State Warriors may have made a mistake.
The Jimmy Butler trade saga ended when the 6x NBA All-Star joined the Golden State Warriors as part of a five-team trade.
Butler’s arrival has transformed the team as they have won 80% of their games since the former Miami Heat star joined the roster.
The Dubs gave up Andrew Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters III, and two draft picks to acquire Jimmy’s services. But did the Dubs trade the wrong player? Well, there is a case for it.
The Golden State Warriors should have traded Jonathan Kuminga instead of Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins spent six years with the Dubs before getting traded to the Heat. In the process, he helped the team win the 2022 NBA Championship.
Since joining the Heat, Wiggins has been on a roll. He’s on an impressive scoring spree, making many Dubs fans doubt the decision to part ways with him.
Wiggs was primarily traded to keep 22-year-old forward Jonathan Kuminga on the roster. For years, Kuminga has been touted as the cornerstone for the next generation of the Warriors team.
Unfortunately, Kuminga has failed to live up to these expectations. Right now, he’s unable to impress fans, leading to head coach Steve Kerr admitting that Kuminga doesn’t fit in the team.
After missing the majority of the season due to an injury, Kuminga’s unable to find a place in the newfound roster of the team. That’s evident from the fact that the Warriors have lost three out of the last five games that Kuminga has played for the team.
Kuminga is averaging 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game for the Warriors this season.
The Warriors could fix their mistake in the offseason
What’s done is done and it cannot be fixed, at least until the end of this season. Unless Kuminga plays a remarkable role in the Warriors’ postseason run, it’s hard to justify him as the next face of the franchise.
So, what’s next? Well, considering he’s only 22 years old, the Warriors could trade him to another team in the summer.
They can finally move on from this experiment and completely focus on maximizing their current championship window with Stephen Curry as their primary superstar.
Some fans would even agree to trade back for Wiggins from the Heat in the offseason. Of course, that would require Miami to come on board as well, and is a little far fetched.
More likely is the Warriors use Kuminga to trade for an alternative player who can be better suited for their new Jimmy Butler-featured offense.
