Grade The Trade: Bucks add young piece in trade with Warriors, Spurs

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 13 (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 13 (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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Milwaukee Bucks: Jae Crowder, Golden State Warriors: Jordan Poole
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 11 (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Grade the trade: The Golden State Warriors’ point of view

Kuminga played for the NBA G League Ignite in 2020-21, where he averaged 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

Kuminga made his NBA debut with the Warriors in October 2021. He played in 70 games during his rookie season, averaging 9.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He wasn’t necessarily a key contributor to the Warriors’ championship run, but all signs pointed to him being a very promising contributor in this league in years to come.

For all the hype surrounding Kuminga following his run with the G-League Ignite, he just hasn’t panned out for the Golden State Warriors in his short time with the franchise. The following season, Kuminga’s average barely increased, and he finished the season with norms of 9.9 points, 3.4 boards, and 1.9 dimes per contest while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 37 percent from distance.

At this point, it’s not a secret that their front office is keen on the idea of moving him for better players or future draft capital to help keep their core in win-now mode and extend their vaunted dynasty further. Stephen Curry is 35 years old, and Klay Thompson is 32 years old.

As the dynasty reaches its ostensible conclusion, one would imagine that the Warriors need to start thinking about the future, and Kuminga could help that future by landing them win-now pieces or better picks to start over. It’s for this reason that Kuminga was often the subject of trade rumors this summer, even if it still is unclear how available he actually is.

On the other hand, Crowder is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. He is strong and physical and is able to play serviceable defense both out on the perimeter and closer to the painted area. He would be a valuable addition to the Warriors’ defense, which has been inconsistent this past season as their two-way players in Green and Thompson continue to age.

Crowder is also a good shooter, both from the midrange and from beyond the arc. He would give the Warriors another reliable scoring option from the perimeter, which would help to space the floor for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Just like he has with practically every team he’s been on, Crowder could come off the bench as a sixth to seventh man and provide the kind of instant offense and defense that translates to postseason success. In the twilight years of their dynasty, I would imagine this is exactly the type of player the Warriors need as opposed to waiting on Kuminga to develop.