Warriors will trade Jonathan Kuminga under one condition

After missing the playoffs this year, the Warriors are under immense pressure to maximize 36-year-old Stephen Curry's shrinking title window. To do so, they could be forced to trade Jonathan Kuminga, a 21-year-old with superstar upside. 

Should the Warriors pull the trigger? 

After the two-day NBA draft, Warriors front-office head Mike Dunleavy Jr. was asked "what it would take" for his franchise to consider parting with their young core pieces of Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski. 

"It would have to be something that we felt would unequivocally change the trajectory of our franchise," Dunleavy responded via NBC Sports. "We like those guys, we think they're gonna be really good. So, it has to be something that makes us a lot better than that."

Dunleavy's decision not to deem Kuminga "untouchable" in trade talks suggests that the Warriors are open to business. 

Earlier this year, Charles Barkley joked that the Warriors "would be stupid" to even consider trading Kuminga, a player many expect to dominate the NBA in a few years. 

However, desperate times call for desperate measures. 

Golden State has 11 players under contract going into the 2024-25 season. Klay Thompson is not one of them. The veteran sharpshooter is expected to make his free agency decision in the coming days. If he were to bolt from the Bay Area, the Warriors could be under even more pressure to get Curry help.

As good as Kuminga could be in a few years, he's the only asset the Warriors could utilize to make a significant roster upgrade. But he's also the best bet to succeed Curry as the next face of the franchise. 

The clashing timelines put the Warriors in a catch-22 situation.