It appears there is trouble in paradise in Golden State. You would think coming off of a NBA championship last year and a to-date successful playoff run this year, things would be good. But recent comments from Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga suggest the Pacers could find opportunity within.
In a recent set of interviews and media availablility, Poole and Kuminga decided to air the dirty laundry about what might be happening behind the scenes in Golden State. Poole stated that:
"“Got the opportunity to play more out there and catch my rhythm […] Only so much you can do when you play 15 minutes.”"
Additionally Kuminga talked about lack of playing time:
"“It’s tough going through this season and being in (the game) most of the time and then things just flip out of nowhere without you knowing what’s going on […] It’s still tough to lock in every single time. It’s still tough to smile every single time.”"
So it sounds like there could be division in the locker room, especially along veteran/young player lines. And this could make sense as it has been speculated that there may be division in the locker room since the preseason incident where Draymond Green aggressively punched Jordan Poole in the face.
So how could the Pacers capitalize?
Bringing in a young player at a position of need with draft capital
Our friends over at BlueManHoop have already graded a trade between the Warriors and Pacers that could perfectly quell the situation in Golden State while significantly improving the current Pacers roster. And it goes something like this:
Now at first glance this seems to be a sky-high cost for a player like Kuminga who, although promsing, has yet to really accomplish anything in his young career. So it is likely that the Pacers would probably only give up two first-round picks for Kuminga, especially if we know that there is already trouble brewing in Golden State.
It’s worth noting that the 2023 first-round pick is the Cleveland pick, so the Pacers would retain their lottery pick this year, leaving them in a good position moving forward. Although, fans will likely be divided on whether this would be selling our assets far too short during the rebuilding phase.
We would give this trade a B-
It’s hard not to like some things about this trade. Kuminga has certainly shown that he can be a valuable asset to a team like the Pacers, and he plays a position of need. He’s a solid power forward in the NBA that continues to have upside moving forward and matches the Pacers timeline of the current roster.
However, the cost for the Pacers in this trade feels a bit like a king’s ransom. With three first-round picks, for a player that we aren’t even sure will solidly be an NBA starter for years to come feels risky at best. While it would likely work in the Pacers favor, nobody can be absolutely sure.
If the Pacers could bring the cost down to two first-round-picks due to the division in the Warriors locker room, then perhaps there is a deal that could be struck between the two teams. Ultimately, Pacers fans should keep their eyes on the Warriors/Lakers series to see if an opportunity to get a player like Kuminga will ultimately materialize.