Phoenix Suns Reportedly Eyeing Jonathan Kuminga, But Limited Assets May Force Warriors to Drop Their Demands in Trade Talks

The Phoenix Suns have officially entered the Jonathan Kuminga sweepstakes, becoming the latest team to express serious interest in the Golden State Warriors’ rising forward, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. But while Phoenix’s ambitions to land the explosive young wing are clear, their path to completing a deal is anything but simple.

Kuminga, 21, is coming off a breakout campaign in which he averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting over 52% from the field. His athleticism, defensive versatility, and improved scoring ability have made him one of Golden State’s most valuable young pieces—both in terms of on-court production and as a trade chip in the Warriors’ effort to retool their roster around Stephen Curry’s remaining prime years.

But while several teams with more assets to offer have already checked in on Kuminga’s availability, the Suns are trying to crash the party with a creative workaround: a sign-and-trade deal that would allow them to add Kuminga while potentially reshuffling their rotation of experienced role players.

The Suns have cleared both luxury tax aprons, temporarily giving them more flexibility in negotiations. However, acquiring Kuminga would almost certainly thrust them back over the tax threshold and possibly over the dreaded first apron, triggering spending restrictions and limiting future roster construction options. This isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker—after all, the Suns are in win-now mode with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal forming the core of a star-heavy roster—but it does force Phoenix to weigh their options carefully.

The Assets Phoenix Can Offer

While the Suns lack first-round picks to dangle in trade talks—largely due to the Beal and Durant acquisitions—they do possess several rotation-caliber players on manageable contracts who could help Golden State maintain competitiveness in the short term. Names like Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Nick Richards have all been floated as potential pieces in a Kuminga trade framework.

Allen, a sharpshooter who averaged a career-high 13.5 points per game while hitting over 46% from deep in 2023-24, is on a newly signed deal worth roughly $15 million per year. His floor spacing and offensive versatility could offer immediate value for a Warriors team that struggled with bench scoring last season. Similarly, O’Neale, a rugged perimeter defender with a reliable three-point shot, could seamlessly slot into the Warriors’ system as a veteran 3-and-D option.

Nick Richards is perhaps the most intriguing asset in this mix. The 26-year-old big man, recently acquired by Phoenix in a quiet but savvy trade, is on a team-friendly deal and could give the Warriors much-needed depth behind Kevon Looney or serve as a potential long-term center. He averaged 9.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in Charlotte last season and has flashed real rim protection ability.

Still, while these names hold value, they don’t match Kuminga’s ceiling or age profile. That’s where the complication lies: Phoenix likely cannot offer a player with upside comparable to Kuminga’s unless they were to part with one of their own younger assets—a move the team is reportedly unwilling to make.

Draft Pick Drought Hurts Leverage

Phoenix’s current draft capital situation significantly weakens their negotiating power. Due to the NBA’s Stepien Rule—which prohibits teams from trading first-round picks in consecutive future years—and the Suns’ previous transactions, the team is virtually out of first-round assets for the foreseeable future.

That leaves the Warriors in a difficult position. If their goal is to extract future value from Kuminga as he approaches restricted free agency, they might need to lower their asking price when dealing with Phoenix. In other words, unless another team blows them away with an offer including a promising young player and draft compensation, Golden State may have to choose between getting some solid win-now role players from Phoenix or holding onto Kuminga and risking a tricky contract negotiation next summer.

The question is: how much are the Warriors willing to compromise?

Golden State’s Motivations and Dilemma

Golden State’s front office is facing a major philosophical crossroads. The team’s two-timeline plan—developing young players like Kuminga, Moses Moody, and (previously) James Wiseman while still competing for titles with Curry—has mostly fallen apart. Wiseman is gone. Moody’s role remains inconsistent. And now, Kuminga could be next.

If the Warriors are serious about going all-in for another title push, trading Kuminga for players who can help Curry immediately makes sense on paper. But trading a 21-year-old who has shown All-Star potential for veteran role players carries long-term risk—especially if they can’t retool the roster enough to make a serious playoff run in the loaded Western Conference.

From that standpoint, Phoenix may be hoping that Golden State’s urgency to win now outweighs its desire to retain Kuminga for the future.

Phoenix’s Angle: Win-Now With a Youthful Spark

For the Suns, acquiring Kuminga would be a major coup. After a disappointing postseason showing and questions about the fit between their Big Three, Phoenix is actively looking to retool around its stars—particularly by adding younger, athletic pieces who can complement Booker, Durant, and Beal on both ends of the floor.

Kuminga would give the Suns a high-upside forward who can defend multiple positions, run the floor in transition, and score without dominating the ball. His presence could also take some physical and defensive pressure off Durant, who turns 37 next season.

Importantly, Kuminga’s age (he’s younger than some recent rookies) gives Phoenix an element of long-term upside they sorely lack. While Beal and Durant may only have a couple years of elite-level play left, Kuminga could be a bridge to the future—if the Suns can find a way to afford him and keep him in town beyond this coming season.

Would Golden State Even Consider It?

The biggest hurdle, of course, is convincing the Warriors to bite. With teams like the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, and Orlando Magic also rumored to have interest in Kuminga—and with far more to offer in terms of picks and prospects—the Suns will likely need Golden State to view their trade chips as a better fit than a haul of future assets.

It’s possible the Warriors could prioritize depth and experience over another “project,” especially if they feel time is running out for their championship window. If that’s the case, Phoenix could leap to the top of the list as a realistic landing spot—especially if they sweeten the offer with multiple rotation players or a sign-and-trade format that benefits both sides financially.

As free agency slows and teams begin turning toward training camp, the Kuminga sweepstakes could heat up quickly. The Warriors are reportedly not in a rush to make a move, but league insiders believe interest in Kuminga remains high enough to generate a bidding war before the start of the season.

For the Suns, any deal involving Kuminga would likely require a willingness to absorb luxury tax consequences and sacrifice valuable depth. But with their championship window still open and their core in place, it may be a gamble worth taking.

All eyes are now on Golden State—and how much they truly value the future of Jonathan Kuminga. For the Suns, the opportunity is clear. Whether they can pull it off is another question entirely.