The Golden State Warriors are at a very public stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga over a new contract. While not negotiated through the media in the same way, the Chicago Bulls and Josh Giddey are in a similar situation.
The Warriors are at least open to the idea of trading their problems — a Kuminga for Giddey trade, reports NBA insider Jake Fischer during a live stream for Bleacher Report.
“I can report that there have been multiple teams that have reached out to Josh Giddey’s representation about having interest in [him]. Golden State is one of them. Golden State would be interested, depending on how the machinations would go, in some kind of Josh Giddey/Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, to my understanding.”
How serious the Warriors are about this is up for debate but also moot right now — the Bulls have shot down all calls for a Giddey sign-and-trade so far, Fischer said. However, he added that in the past there was some interest in Chicago in Kuminga.
“They made outreach to Golden State early in the offseason about Kuminga, they’ve talked about Kuminga in various trade conversations with the Warriors in the past when Golden State was checking in on Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso.”
This trade is a long shot primarily due to logistical reasons — a double sign-and-trade deal is incredibly difficult to pull off. That’s because of the NBA’s base year compensation rule, which would break down in practice this way: For the purposes of the trade, Kuminga’s outgoing salary would count for half (50%) of its annual average on the Warriors’ books, but the full amount incoming on the Bulls’ books. For example, and hypothetically, if Kuminga’s average salary on the new contract were $20 million a season, for the Warriors it would count as $10 million going out, but for the Bulls it would count as $20 million a year coming in. The same is true in reverse, Giddey would count for 50% of his salary on the Bulls’ books, but the full amount on the Warriors. That means there would need to be at least three teams in this trade to make the math work, and more likely at least four teams. Good luck putting that together.
The Warriors reportedly have pulled out of all Kuminga trade talks and expect him to be with the team this fall. The Warriors reportedly offered a two-year, $45 million contract, and Fischer confirmed previous reporting that Golden State wants a team option on the second year and for Kuminga to waive the no-trade clause that would automatically come with that contract (because it’s in practice a one-year deal and he could lose his Bird rights). Kuminga isn’t about to give up his only leverage in this situation.
The deadline to reach a deal is Oct. 1 (the final day Kuminga could pick up the $7.8 million qualifying offer and play for that, then be a free agent next summer), which is far enough away that neither side feels any pressure to compromise. Same with the Giddey situation. In both cases, expect the situation to be worked out closer to training camp, and don’t expect a Giddey for Kuminga trade, that would be a lot to make happen.
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