The Chicago Bulls are still rumored to have trade interest in the Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga, but they need to stay far away. Early in the season, Kuminga looked like he was having a breakout campaign, playing winning basketball in the Golden State Warriors system. However, he has quickly reverted to his old bad habits amid the Warriors ' struggles.
Kuminga is not a worthy trade target
Kuminga has been wildly inconsistent this season. In some games, he earns enough trust to start next to players like Steph Curry. In other games, he gets literally no playing time. Some of that is definitely the coaches’ fault, but Kuminga’s lack of consistency is concerning.
Although Kuminga theoretically has a high ceiling, he’s rarely shown it. Bulls fans may be excited about his star potential, but it looks like false gold so far. The Bulls could use some more top-end talent, but Kuminga's up-and-down play would just bring more problems.
Even when he does play this season, Kuminga hasn't been very good. He's averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 32.0 percent from three. On top of his offensive struggles, his defense has been a weakness. In fact, concerns about defense and efficiency have kept him off the floor in key moments throughout his Warriors career.
Sure, a change of scenery could help Kuminga. He's still just 23 years old and still has time to grow into a reliable rotation piece. Trading for him could signal a full rebuild. But are we really going to trust the Bulls coaching to bring something special out of him that's been hiding for the last 4 years?
At times, Kuminga has shown star talent. Last season in the playoffs, he averaged 24 points per game on good efficiency after Steph Curry got injured. This was against a good Timberwolves defense with capable matchups against Kuminga. But it was also a sample size of only a few games.
More often than not, Kuminga has been frustrated by his lack of playing time and his inability to play alongside the other Warriors. He can get more free rein on the Bulls, but he still has to share the floor with Josh Giddey. And Kuminga hasn't shown the willingness to play off someone who is ball-dominant without complaint.
There's also the issue of his contract. Kuminga signed a two-year extension last summer as a restricted free agent, including a team option on the second season. That means he's eligible for another extension next summer (or even free agency if his team decides to let him go). By trading for him, the Bulls would guarantee themselves another tense summer of contract negotiations and possibly a very expensive mistake.