A rival NBA scout has sent a brutal warning to the Cleveland Cavaliers over their pursuit of Jonathan Kuminga, believing the Eastern Conference finalists won’t be a better team if they land the former Golden State Warriors forward.

The Cavaliers remain in pursuit of Kuminga and Denver Nuggets restricted free agent Peyton Watson, having taken a further step in creating financial flexibility after trading another former Warrior, Dennis Schroder, to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

Rival scout gives Cavaliers brutal Jonathan Kuminga warning

Cleveland will now have to look at moving Max Strus in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga or Watson, but the rival scout told Sam Amico of HoopsHype that it’s essentially an unwise move when it comes to the former seventh overall pick.

“The Cavs are not a better team if they lose Dean Wade and Max Strus and replace them with Jonathan Kuminga. Probably worse. I’d say Strus is better on his own than Kuminga when it comes to versatility and work ethic,” the scout said.

While this may sound like a bold take on face value, it’s hardly surprising to most Warrior fans who watched Kuminga flash potential but never fully grasp a consistent role in his nearly five years with the franchise. Combine this with the fact the Atlanta Hawks are prepared to move on after just a few months, and it’s clear that major concerns remain on Kuminga’s ability to impact winning.

It’s not that Strus is necessarily a better player than Kuminga — there’s no doubt the latter has far more talent that could be unearthed as a still only 23-year-old. But as examined here on Saturday, moving on two of your best three-point shooters in Strus and Wade for a career 33.2% shooter is risky business for a team that already employs a frontcourt combination of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allan.

NBA Scout also talks down value of Peyton Watson on Cavaliers

There’s little doubt that Cleveland’s priorities currently center around Watson, and that Kuminga’s hopes of landing with the Cavaliers may hinge on whether or not the Nuggets ultimately agree on a sign-and-trade with their young forward.

Yet the scout is even uncertain with Watson’s fit on the Cavaliers, stating that he’s “up in the air” on the idea despite the Denver forward averaging a career-high 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season on 41.1% shooting from 3-point range.

Kuminga had his own long restricted free agency with the Warriors last year, and now continues to face another uncertain situation despite the Hawks granting him unrestricted status this time around.

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