As soon as Jonathan Kuminga signed his new contract with the Golden State Warriors, trade speculation began.
Neither party seems particularly enamored by the other. Jonathan Kuminga thinks the Golden State Warriors stunted his growth after Steve Kerr had him riding the bench on the back end of last season, and the Warriors were hesitant to commit to the young star long term.
Despite that, Kuminga signed a two-year contract with the Warriors worth $48.5 million, finally putting an end to their summer-long negotiations. It’s an incredibly tradeable contract, meaning Kuminga is unlikely to remain with the team for the entirety of the season.
The Warriors’ championship window is closing. They have five players over the age of 35 expected to start for them this season, as they roll the dice one final time to win a fifth NBA title with Stephen Curry. Signing Al Horford and trading for Jimmy Butler put them in “win now” mode.
Getting a good return for Kuminga is therefore crucial. It would set them up not only for this season, but for life after Curry. And Kevin O’Connor thinks he’s spotted the perfect player the Warriors can trade for.
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty ImagesKevin O’Connor thinks Golden State Warriors should trade for Trey Murphy
New Orleans Pelicans’ wing Trey Murphy III had a breakout season last year. He put up 21.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in his fourth NBA season, having a career-best year in all major statistical categories.
The 25-year-old signed a four-year, $112 million deal with the Pelicans last year, aligning his contract perfectly with Kuminga should Golden State and New Orleans agree on a trade.
O’Connor thinks that Murphy would take a step into NBA stardom if Golden State were to trade for him. Speaking on the Kevin O’Connor show, he said, “He would become a star if he got traded to the Warriors. It would be a perfect, seamless fit if that would happen.
The New Orleans Pelicans don’t have any untouchable players on their roster, per @KevinOConnorNBA
“There are no untouchables in New Orleans. League sources say the Pelicans are gauging the market for everyone on their roster. They very well could end up keeping their core… pic.twitter.com/gdDoUjNFwq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 30, 2025
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“The Warriors, as good as they are on paper, are a move away, and upgrading Kuminga is the obvious route there.”
As Golden State seek young star power to make a championship push and secure their future, names such as Lauri Markkanen have been floated as a trade target. However, Murphy represents a more realistic financial prospect.
O’Connor continued, “He started year one of a four-year contract, where year four he’s going to be making 31 million. That’s the one.
“I think with Markkanen, that’s a big money deal, but Trey Murphy gets four years of runway where that one makes sense to me.”
Golden State would have Murphy under contract until the end of the 2028-29 season, so if he were to develop into a true NBA star, he could take the mantle from Curry as the team’s next star in the coming years.
The Warriors need that desperately as they roll their aging roster into 2025-26.
Trey Murphy’s injury concerns
One factor that could deter the Warriors from pulling the trigger on this trade is Murphy’s ongoing injury concerns. Last season alone, he played only 53 games for the Pelicans, after playing 57 the year before.
Murphy’s career year was halted due to a season-ending injury. In March, it was announced that he’d miss the rest of the season after suffering an injury to his right shoulder.
He also missed the start of the season with a right hamstring strain that he sustained in training camp. Although that wasn’t of concern to New Orleans, who offered Murphy his contract extension afterwards.
Injuries have derailed the Warriors’ recent seasons. Last year, Curry’s injury saw them knocked out of the postseason by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and their new signing, Horford, didn’t play back-to-backs with the Boston Celtics due to injury fears.
If they were to invest in the young star, it would be a devastating blow to the Warriors if his career were plagued by injuries.