If the Golden State Warriors were hoping that dangling Jonathan Kuminga in trade talks might be the spark to reignite their season, they might want to recalibrate those expectations. Kuminga’s trade value has taken a hit-again-as he's found himself drifting out of Steve Kerr’s rotation. And if the Warriors aren’t interested in rolling the dice on someone like Michael Porter Jr., it's hard to imagine them biting on more volatile options, like an injured Anthony Davis or a long-shot project like Dalton Knecht.
Right now, the trade chatter around Kuminga is less “blockbuster buzz” and more “buyer beware.” That makes any potential return feel like a tightrope walk-Golden State needs help, but it can’t afford to swing and miss.
Enter Coby White.
According to insider Jake Fischer, White has been generating “a ton of noise” on the trade market, and the Warriors could do worse than targeting the Bulls guard as a midseason reinforcement. He’s not a perfect fit, but he checks an important box: scoring punch.
White is coming off a season where he averaged a smooth 20.4 points per game on efficient shooting splits-45.3% from the field, 37% from deep, and over 90% from the line. That kind of offensive output doesn’t just happen by accident. He’s a rhythm scorer who can heat up in a hurry, and on a Warriors bench that’s been searching for consistency, that kind of firepower could go a long way.
Now, let’s be clear-White isn’t coming in to solve all of Golden State’s problems. He’s not a lockdown defender, and he’s not the type of playmaker who’s going to orchestrate the second unit like a conductor.
But what he can do is get buckets. And right now, that might be enough.
If Kerr could rely on White to stabilize the second unit’s offense, especially in stretches where Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield have struggled to find rhythm, that’s a tangible upgrade. It’s not a needle-moving trade, but it’s a move that makes the team better today-and that’s what matters when you’re trying to squeeze every last drop out of Stephen Curry’s prime.
Of course, the deal hinges on what the Warriors are willing to give up-and what Chicago wants in return. If Kuminga is the centerpiece, and Golden State isn’t attaching significant draft capital or other assets, White might be the ceiling of what they can realistically get back. That said, there is some history here: the Bulls have reportedly liked Kuminga in the past, and if they’re hesitant to commit long-term money to White, this could be a mutually beneficial pivot for both sides.
If this is how Kuminga’s time in Golden State ends, it’ll go down as a disappointment. No way around that.
He was supposed to be a cornerstone of the next era, a dynamic two-way wing with sky-high upside. But development hasn’t been linear, and the fit has never quite clicked.
Still, this isn’t the time to dwell on what might’ve been. The Warriors are in the now.
They’re trying to stay afloat in a brutally competitive Western Conference, and that means making pragmatic, basketball-first decisions. A move for Coby White might not make headlines, but it could give Golden State the scoring boost it desperately needs.
And right now, that’s worth considering.