Dallas Mavericks: Weighing Pros/Cons Of Jonathan Kuminga Trade

Pros

In a vacuum, there’s a lot to like about the concept of completing a trade for Kuminga.

At 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, he’s an athletic forward with an attacking mentality and exceptional efficiency inside the restricted area. Due to his explosiveness and ball-handling, he’s a weapon with a head of steam, on or off the ball. He’s not the most polished shooter but has a knack for knocking down turnaround fadeaways inside the arc. At the other end, he’s confident and comfortable guarding tough assignments at the point-of-attack.

With the Mavericks needing to build around 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, he’s also young enough to be part of that timeline at 23 years old. Despite his modest career scoring average (12.5 points per game), he’s been significantly more productive when his playing time increases. As a starter, he’s averaging 15.3 points in 28.1 minutes per game on 50.0 percent shooting from the field.  When he’s played 30+ minutes, he’s averaged 20.7 points per game on 53.6% shooting from the field.

How Come This Doesn’t Seem To Matter To Golden State?

Though he’s fallen out of favor in Golden State, the issue is mostly about fit. Not only is Dallas not a fading dynasty trying their darnedest to go out with a Mike Breen “Bang!,” they’re not nearly as fixated on the 3-ball.

For reference, the Mavericks attempt 32.5 3-pointers per game in 2025-26, the fifth-least in the league. Meanwhile, the Warriors have taken a league-high 44.5 3-pointers per game this season. Of course, since Kerr arrived in the Bay Area, the 3-ball has been their bread-and-butter, the success that they had with the then novel offense revolutionizing the league. However, though the 3-ball retains a certain level of prominence, there are multiple teams that sought to establish a different identity.

Nevertheless, the reason that Kuminga wasn’t the right player for Golden State boils down to the state of their franchise and overarching philosophy. Not talent, with the exception of his below-average outside jumper. That should ease the minds of Dallas’s front office members with regards to bringing him on board. The way Kuminga started his 2025-26 campaign– with his evolved decision-making, possessed rebounding, and sticky defense –should as well.

Cons

The issue with Kuminga is that he’s an unrefined player.

As previously alluded to, his career 3-point percentage (.331) is mediocre but his touch outside of 10 feet is suspect in general. His tunnel vision can often make him less of a playmaker and more of a black hole. At the defensive end, he has developed a reputation for a lack of off-ball awareness. If all of his weaknesses are showing up in the same game, it can be ugly.

In terms of intangibles, though he’s honestly handled the situation delicately, his falling out with Kerr could foreshadow his future with Kidd. There’s no indication that Kidd would openly criticize Kuminga in the way that Kerr has. However, if Kidd were to give Kuminga the Jaden Hardy-treatment, playing him sporadically, it probably wouldn’t go over so well.

“My sources tell me that the relationship between him and Steve Kerr is fractured beyond repair. So, do you go back to Jonathan Kuminga now given the state of their relationship. Or, during the immediate future, do you try to find a deal out there on the marketplace that can help the Warriors win and compete without Jimmy Butler. That’s a gaping hole for this team.”

Last but perhaps not least, there’s no telling what the Warriors are asking for in return for Kuminga. Perhaps the trade couldn’t get done without a star player if the Kings offered DeMar DeRozan. Golden State would probably like to have Max Christie, a 22-year-old wing with strong defense and who’s shooting 45.9% from 3 this season. Any trade that costs them much more than Klay Thompson might be a no-go.