The Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors are each facing inflection points shaped less by record than by direction. Dallas could justify being increasingly focused on asset accumulation and lineup versatility around Cooper Flagg, while Golden State remains committed to maximizing the championship window built around Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green.

That divergence creates the foundation for a conceptually clean trade proposal: a win-now center and veteran shooter returning to Golden State, while Dallas takes on a younger upside wing and a controllable shooting contract. The framework would reunite Klay Thompson with the Warriors and send Jonathan Kuminga to Dallas at a moment when his relationship with Golden State appears increasingly strained.

NBA Trade Proposal: Dallas Mavericks Land Jonathan Kuminga

Dallas Mavericks Receive

Golden State Warriors Receive

Dallas sends out approximately $31.1 million (Thompson and Gafford) and takes back roughly $31.7 million (Kuminga and Hield). Golden State sends out the same $31.7 million and takes back about $31.1 million. Both teams are deep into the tax, but the near-equal salaries make the trade legal under tax-team matching rules, keeping each club in a similar apron position while reallocating money across positions.

Why the Dallas Mavericks Do the Deal

For Dallas, this proposal is fundamentally about timeline and optionality. Thompson and Gafford were acquired as part of a win-now push built around Luka Dončić, a context that no longer defines the franchise’s direction. As the Mavericks pivot toward building around Flagg, the front office has reason to prioritize younger, scalable pieces and contracts that preserve flexibility.

Kuminga fits that profile. The 23-year-old is averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 18 games this season, offering athleticism and two-way potential that aligns more naturally with Flagg’s timeline than a long-term center commitment. His contract structure—a two-year, $48.5 million deal with a team option—effectively gives Dallas one guaranteed year plus an off-ramp, allowing the Mavericks to reassess or extend based on development and fit.

Hield serves as the functional replacement for Thompson’s spacing. While his role is more limited defensively, Hield has historically been a high-volume, durable shooter and remains under team control through non-guarantees and partial guarantees beyond 2025–26. He is averaging 7.5 points in 30 games this season, and his movement shooting continues to bend defenses without requiring usage.

What Dallas gives up is real. Gafford, who is averaging 7.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, has been a valuable rim-runner and vertical spacer, particularly during the team’s Finals run.

Thompson, even at 35, still brings shooting gravity and locker-room presence, averaging 11.1 points in 22.1 minutes across 30 games. But from Dallas’ perspective, converting those pieces into a younger wing swing and a more flexible shooting contract better supports a roster being reshaped around Flagg rather than veteran contention.

Why the Golden State Warriors Do the Deal

For Golden State, the calculus is more immediate. Kuminga remains the Warriors’ primary upside swing, but his fit within Steve Kerr’s system has been uneasy for nearly two years. Reports dating back to January 2024 detailed frustration over role, late-game benchings, and inconsistent minutes. While Kuminga publicly expressed loyalty to the organization at various points, the underlying tension never fully dissipated.

That disconnect intensified during the 2025 playoffs, when Kuminga was a DNP-CD in four of seven games against Houston before being thrust into a larger role only after Curry’s injury against Minnesota. He responded with 20.8 points per game in extended minutes, including a 30-point performance, underscoring both his talent and the volatility of his role. His restricted free agency negotiations that summer further reflected the awkward fit, culminating in a deliberately trade-friendly contract.

In this proposal, Golden State chooses clarity. Gafford gives the Warriors something they have cycled through for years: a younger, athletic rim-runner who can protect the paint, rebound, and finish vertically next to Curry and Butler. His presence stabilizes lineups that have often leaned too heavily on small-ball solutions.

The return of Thompson carries both basketball and symbolic value. On a far smaller number than his previous max deals, Thompson slots more cleanly as a secondary shooter and spacing threat rather than a primary option. His familiarity with the system, off-ball excellence, and playoff experience—over 100 postseason games and four championships—fit seamlessly into a contender’s rotation.

What Golden State relinquishes is long-term upside and some shooting redundancy. Hield’s movement shooting is valuable next to Curry, and Kuminga still carries All-Star-caliber potential if fully unleashed. But this deal represents a conscious decision to prioritize present-day fit and structural needs over a developmental gamble that has grown increasingly uncomfortable.

Additional Perspective to Consider

There is also a personal logic on both sides. League reporting has consistently framed Thompson as open—if not eager—to land with a true contender at this stage of his career, prioritizing playoff relevance over retooling. A return to Golden State would place him back in a familiar environment with a defined role and championship expectations.

Conversely, Kuminga’s camp has pushed for a larger offensive role and consistent minutes, something Dallas would be better positioned to explore alongside Flagg without the gravitational pull of Curry-centric offense.

This trade proposal is not without risk. Dallas would be betting on Kuminga’s development and fit, while Golden State would be sacrificing its main young upside piece for immediate stability. But viewed through the lens of each team’s trajectory, the logic is clear.

The Mavericks reallocate veteran win-now assets into youth and flexibility aligned with Flagg’s rise. The Warriors consolidate talent around Curry with a traditional center and a familiar shooter built for postseason basketball. For two franchises moving in opposite temporal directions, the exchange represents a rare intersection of needs.

Latest NBA News & Trade Rumors