The Warriors first deal this summer is coming! 5 for 1 to get rid of hot potatoes, Kumingga goes to the king to be the cornerstone

On July 26, NBA reporter Anthony Slater revealed through a report that Warriors player Kumingga had an online exchange with the Sacramento Kings General Manager. During this period, the Kings General Manager promised Kumingga the starting position and stable playing time, and received a positive response from Kumingga. Subsequently, Bay Area media further disclosed the details of the deal. The American media generally believe that the Golden State Warriors are about to send away young forward Kumingga, and the exchanges from the Kings will include Saric, Devin Carter, Keane Ellis and two future second-round draft picks.

From the Warriors' perspective, the logic of this deal is quite clear and practical. The conflict between Kumingga and the team is no longer a secret. From the breakdown of negotiations with the Warriors last year to the collapse of Kumingga's secluded by Cole during the playoffs last season, the rookie who was selected with the seventh pick in 2021 has never been able to integrate well into the tactical system with "Curry as the axis". During the regular season last season, although Kuminga averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, his ball-rights usage rate on the court was as high as 23.8%, far exceeding his actual role value in the tactical system. What's even more fatal is that he repeatedly ignored Curry's opportunity to open a seat in the game and still chose to force his move, which exposed his lack of ball quotient and his shortcomings in tactical execution. Still, when Kuminga got more ball support in the playoffs against the Timberwolves, his offensive ability showed an excellent side, giving the team some positive impact.

However, this also led to Kumingga's team insisting that he deserves a contract with an average annual salary of $30 million, but the Warriors management is only willing to provide a contract of around $15 million, and the two sides have never reached an agreement on this issue. After a stalemate, the Warriors finally made a qualification offer worth $7.9 million. Kumingga's team even said that they were ready to accept the offer and did not rule out the possibility of "death-for-death" with the Warriors. Sending Kumingga away, for the Warriors, it can first effectively solve the potential contradictions and hidden dangers in the locker room. Cole has publicly stated on many occasions in the past seasons: "We need everyone to be clear about their role and willing to sacrifice for the team." These words point directly to Kumingga's positioning problem in the Warriors system - he has always been eager to be the team's ball-holding core, but has ignored key elements in the Warriors system, such as "move, sharing and empty cut."

The three players obtained by the Warriors through this deal perfectly filled the team's needs. As a space-based inside player, Saric has a career three-point shooting percentage of 36.1%, which can effectively create a broader offensive space for Curry and Thompson. He also has good abilities in rebounding and positioning, and can make up for the weaknesses of the Warriors' inside line. Last season with the Kings, Saric averaged 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, and despite his less playing time, his efficient performance is exactly what the Warriors' rotation is urgently needed. Devin Carter is a defensive defender with rich defensive experience. He averaged 1.1 steals per game in his career and was able to defend from No. 1 to No. 3, greatly alleviating Thompson's pressure on the defensive end. And the most underrated player is probably Keane Ellis. The 23-year-old defender performed well in the Development League last season, averaging 20.1 points per game and shooting 41.3% from three-pointers. Ellis showed his potential to be a "poor version of Thompson". The Warriors management clearly took a fancy to his projection stability and defensive ability, hoping to develop him into a reliable firepower point in the team's rotation lineup.

From the perspective of the Kings, there are also many mysteries behind this deal. Since breaking through the 16-year playoff drought in 2023, the Kings' management has shifted the team's goal from "returning to the playoffs" to "striking the championship." However, in the past few seasons, they have made some questionable operations, such as introducing DeRozan and trading Fox for LaVine. These operations not only did not improve the team's overall strength, but may have put the team in a dilemma and forced them to start a new round of reconstruction work. Despite this, Kumingga's talent is still very attractive. He is 2.03 meters tall and has 2.11 meters wingspan. He has the league's top running and jumping ability. These physical conditions are not available in any training. Last season's playoffs, Kumingga scored 20 points in three consecutive games after Curry was injured, proving that he has the potential to assume the offensive responsibility at critical moments. The King is willing to give him more opportunities to hold the ball and attack independently, hoping to help him play more personal talents.

For Kumingga, this deal is undoubtedly a chance to be reborn. During his three years at the Warriors, Kumingga has always been criticized for being "a mismatch between talent and achievement", and criticism on social media and the booing of fans have eroded his confidence all the time. However, after heading to the King, he will usher in the first truly "provement opportunity" of his career. To gain a foothold in Sacramento, Kumingga must make some changes. First of all, he needs to accept the role positioning - the Kings will not train him to be the team's ball-holding core, but will give him more ending opportunities, allowing him to use his excellent physical conditions to hit the basket, which is also his best area. Secondly, Kumingga also needs to improve his basketball IQ, reduce unnecessary forced offenses and mistakes, and learn to accurately judge the defensive rotation after the pick-and-roll. These improvements in details are exactly the gap between him and players such as Wiggins.