The Golden State Warriors are pursuing a Kevin Durant reunion with the Phoenix Suns showing interest in Jonathan Kuminga, Jake Fischer reported on Monday, Feb. 3.
“League sources say that Golden State continues to pursue its own blockbuster to rival the Lakers’ Luka Dončić heist,” Fischer wrote on “The Stein Line” on Substack.
Fischer added that the Warriors’ “most ambitious idea” is to “find a way to bring both [LeBron] James and Durant,” which is highly unlikely given their enormous combined $101 million salaries and the Lakers superstar wanting to remain in Los Angeles past trade deadline.
“The path to Durant alone does seem plausible. Phoenix, entering Monday’s business, continued to signal that it does not plan to move Durant before the deadline, sources said, but the Suns are believed to be listening at the very least to various teams’ pitches for the 35-year-old scoring legend. Durant, meanwhile, is said to be aware of all this.
The Suns, mind you, are expected to maintain a very high asking price before they ever agreed to part ways with him. We’re talking serious draft capital and highly rated young talent. The Suns do have a level of interest in Jonathan Kuminga, sources said,” Fischer wrote.
What Kevin Durant Package Could Look Like
The Warriors have up to three tradable first-round picks. They would also have to give up both Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins, their biggest matching salary not named Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in any package for Durant, plus two more salary-fillers.
Durant, 36, is still playing at an elite level, averaging 26.9 points on 53/41/83 shooting splits, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He has better numbers this season than Curry, who is under load management on back-to-backs.
The 36-year-old Curry has struggled at times this season as he has been constantly blitzed without another All-Star on the Warriors roster. Curry is averaging just 22.6 points on 44% shooting, his lowest since the 2019-20 season when he only played five games and missed the rest of the season with a fractured left hand.
Jonathan Kuminga Confident About Warriors’ Future
Kuminga is currently out with a significant right ankle sprain but is scheduled to be re-evaluated in a week.
His absence has taken a toll on the Warriors, who continued to struggle. They are 6-8 since Kuminga suffered the injury on a Jan. 4 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The fourth-year forward has scored in double digits in 17 straight games, including eight 20-plus-point scoring. He had three games in which he scored more than 30 points, including a back-to-back career-high 34 on the week before his injury.
Kuminga is averaging 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season which gave him confidence that he will not be traded despite his injury.
“I feel good,” Kuminga said on Jan. 5, per The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, about his future with the Warriors. “You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m pretty confident this is where I’m at.”
That could instantly change if the Suns make Durant available.
There’s a world where the Suns can acquire Jimmy Butler, who told the Warriors he won’t sign an extension with them, in a three-team trade that reunites Durant and Curry. That is if the Suns are really all-in on Butler and they acknowledge that the only pathway to get him is by trading Durant or Devin Booker since Bradley Beal is unwilling to waive his no-trade clause.
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