Warriors Express Interest in New Trade Target as Kuminga Pressure Mounts

The Golden State Warriors’ search for answers ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline has produced a new name — and a familiar dilemma.

According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Warriors are among several contenders that have registered interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, a development that adds another layer to Golden State’s increasingly complex deadline calculus.

“As for Hornets that might be on the move, veteran forward Miles Bridges is drawing significant interest, league sources told The Athletic,” Amick reported Friday. “The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are all known to be among the interested parties, though it remains to be seen if any team can compel the Hornets to give Bridges up.”

With Jimmy Butler sidelined by a season-ending ACL tear and Jonathan Kuminga’s future still unresolved, the Warriors are exploring ways to retool without sacrificing their long-term flexibility around Stephen Curry.

Miles Bridges Emerges as a Realistic Warriors Trade Option

GettyMiles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler.

Bridges, 27, is averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season for Charlotte. While his 33.2% shooting from three has limited his efficiency, the athletic forward remains a versatile two-way option capable of defending multiple positions and attacking off the dribble — traits Golden State has lacked on the wing.

Financially, a deal is workable.

Bridges is earning $25 million this season and is on a descending contract that expires next year at $22.8 million, making him easier to move than many long-term salary commitments. The Warriors could theoretically match that figure by using Kuminga’s $22.5 million salary plus a smaller contract as filler.

But matching money is only part of the equation.

Hornets Seeking Draft Capital in Any Bridges Deal

According to Amick, draft assets remain the sticking point.

“They want a first (round pick),” one league source told The Athletic. “Maybe two.”

Golden State technically controls up to four future first-round picks, but the front office has been reluctant to part with them unless a clear franchise-altering player becomes available.

That stance has been reiterated repeatedly by Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.

“Our picks always will and have been in play,” Dunleavy said earlier this week. “To give up our picks, it’s got to be meaningful to get something back. There’s only so many players out there that probably warrant putting stuff like that on the table.”

Dunleavy has also emphasized that life after Curry remains a guiding factor.

“If we’re talking about trading draft picks that will be going out when Steph isn’t here,” he added, “it’s going to have to be a player that we think will be here when those picks are going out.”

Jonathan Kuminga’s Trade Demand Still Looms Large

Any discussion of Bridges inevitably circles back to Jonathan Kuminga, whose name continues to dominate Golden State’s deadline conversations.

Despite being reinserted into the rotation following Butler’s injury, Kuminga’s desire for a change of scenery has not softened, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.

“Sources have told me that Kuminga has no desire to remain with the Golden State Warriors,” Haynes said Thursday on NBA on Prime. “He is very much hoping that he will be dealt by the deadline.”

Haynes described a relationship between Kuminga and head coach Steve Kerr that remains strained.

“I’m told that his relationship with Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair,” Haynes said. “He’s felt that he hasn’t had organizational support and has felt devalued.”

Whether Charlotte would have interest in Kuminga remains unclear, though leaguewide belief is that the Warriors may ultimately hold Kuminga through the deadline if acceptable value does not emerge.

Warriors Balancing Urgency and Flexibility

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater, Golden State has drawn a firm line in negotiations.

“League sources said the Warriors have been prioritizing expiring contracts in return for Kuminga,” Charania and Slater reported last week. “They’ve declined the idea of taking back long-term money unless they view it as a no-brainer positive value.”

That framework complicates a Bridges pursuit, given Charlotte’s demand for draft capital and Golden State’s reluctance to sacrifice future flexibility.

As the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches, Bridges represents a middle-ground target — impactful but not transformational — forcing the Warriors to decide whether solving short-term roster gaps is worth altering their long-term plan.

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