Kuminga to Chi for Jalen Smith

giberish · Post #1 » by **giberish** » Sun May 18, 2025 11:18 am

S&T Kuminga to Chicago for Jalen Smith.

3yr contract, starting small enough to fit into a Chicago TPE ($17.1M) for around $54M/3 yrs
Even with the BYC limitation on salary matching for the Warriors it's enough to take on Smith in the deal.

Why for Chicago: If Chicago drafts a center, they'll have 4 and look to move one for forward help. They hope for upside away from GS (somewhat similar to Giddey) and get him on a reasonable contract. Smith isn't that essential for the Bulls

Why for GS: Smith gives them another rotation center option. He's mobile enough to work with their defense so he can get regular minutes and provides some shooting (more than Looney or TJD). He's also cheap enough that GS retains some financial flexibility to make another move or two.

Why for JK: Gets more than MLE money - unless the Nets have interest this sort of deal is as good as he could get. The QO route is a bad idea as it's not only $10M less next season but leaves him in GS which probably won't make him look good for a future FA deal.

I see a lot of people trying to push Vucevic to the Warriors, often in Kuminga deals but I don't like it for several reasons; I've never seen any of the deals work under the CBA; I don't think Vuc can hold up defensively for what GS wants to do - he could easily end up out of the playoff rotation; I think as an RFA a S&T of Kuminga should receive positive value in return (not big value, but better than an overpaid EC). Smith makes much more sense. He's a bit undersized at center but that's the type of guy the Warriors actually play. His contract is small enough to easily make a CBA legal deal, and while he has some value it's not like he's an untouchable core guy for the Bulls - he was often 3rd string at C behind Vuc and Collins.

pipfan · Post #2 » by **pipfan** » Sun May 18, 2025 11:37 am

It's an interesting option-I like Jalen Smith but he didn't play much for us. He'd fit in GS
Bulls roll the dice on a talent

fluffhead · Post #3 » by **fluffhead** » Sun May 18, 2025 2:44 pm

Don’t think smith would be enough for kuminga.
Warriors counter with kuminga for Coby white

ChettheJet · Post #4 » by **ChettheJet** » Sun May 18, 2025 3:00 pm

The wiretap talk is GSW want to find a way to keep Kuminga, that could also be a tried and true negotiating strategy. I doubt GSW think enough of an expiring White to take that offer. Smith didn't play as much after the deadline because Collins was the stronger option but there hasn't been any word, save people rationalizing their trade ideas, that the Bulls have any regrets in signing Smith.

Vucevic always comes up because the W's need a center, and the Bulls could do fine with Collins and Smith while adding a kid.

NW · Post #5 » by NW » Sun May 18, 2025 3:13 pm

Doubt Kuminga settles for that deal or the Warriors settle for that return.

Vucevic is always the popular name, but doubt that’s enough either. Hearing Lonzo Ball or Coby White as interesting additions . Ball is an interesting risk with his salary dropping, don’t see the Bulls dealing White

louc1970 · Post #6 » by **louc1970** » Sun May 18, 2025 5:00 pm

I see Kuminga starting near $25 and going up from there. I would still like for GSW and Brooklyn to find a deal of Kuminga for Cam Johnson.

giberish · Post #7 » by **giberish** » Sun May 18, 2025 7:21 pm

louc1970 wrote:I see Kuminga starting near $25 and going up from there. I would still like for GSW and Brooklyn to find a deal of Kuminga for Cam Johnson.

Unless the Nets really want Kuminga I don't see him getting over $20M/yr. He may want more but no team would be able to offer it (and I pointed out why the QO route is a poor choice).

The Nets (or perhaps just their fans on this site) seem to really value Cam Johnson to the point where I wouldn't be interested in paying the price for him.

giberish · Post #8 » by **giberish** » Sun May 18, 2025 7:29 pm

ChettheJet wrote:The wiretap talk is GSW want to find a way to keep Kuminga, that could also be a tried and true negotiating strategy. I doubt GSW think enough of an expiring White to take that offer. Smith didn't play as much after the deadline because Collins was the stronger option but there hasn't been any word, save people rationalizing their trade ideas, that the Bulls have any regrets in signing Smith.

Vucevic always comes up because the W's need a center, and the Bulls could do fine with Collins and Smith while adding a kid.

I'm not saying that the Bulls regret signing Smith, they're trading him here as a small asset to get something else they want, not to dump him. GSW does need a center, but they need one who Kerr would play and I don't think that's Vuc. They also need more than just a center and may only have ~$25M to work with (depending on if they make moves to hard cap at the 1st apron or if they can spend up to the 2nd). Vuc taking $21M is a problem especially if he's uncertain to stay in the rotation.

The Bulls may prefer to move Vuc but I don't think they're terribly attached to any of their centers (why I'm assuming they draft a center) so if they can get a better deal for Smith they probably move him.

louc1970 · Post #9 » by **louc1970** » Mon May 19, 2025 5:09 pm

giberish wrote:
louc1970 wrote:I see Kuminga starting near $25 and going up from there. I would still like for GSW and Brooklyn to find a deal of Kuminga for Cam Johnson.

Unless the Nets really want Kuminga I don't see him getting over $20M/yr. He may want more but no team would be able to offer it (and I pointed out why the QO route is a poor choice).

The Nets (or perhaps just their fans on this site) seem to really value Cam Johnson to the point where I wouldn't be interested in paying the price for him.

I see no reason why the Nets would keep Johnson beyond the summer. He is 29. By the time the Nets get good enough (playoffs), he will be early/mid-30s. Trade him now for value.

Kuminga, on the other hand, is 22. He may not be the right piece, but the concept is the correct route.

jayjaysee · Post #10 » by **jayjaysee** » Mon May 19, 2025 5:17 pm

I like it for both and think 17 first year is looking like a decent deal for Kuminga. Could always give him a player option on the third year I think?

GSW would have to just be done with Kuminga to do this. Which I thought they mostly were.

Post #11 » by **gswhoops** » Mon May 19, 2025 5:31 pm

jayjaysee wrote:GSW would have to just be done with Kuminga to do this. Which I thought they mostly were.

I think we are. Obviously we're going to posture like we want to bring him back but if you really twist our arm you could pry him loose.

redslastlaugh · Post #12 » by **redslastlaugh** » Mon May 19, 2025 5:39 pm

NW wrote:Doubt Kuminga settles for that deal or the Warriors settle for that return.

Kuminga is like Evan Turner in 2013. The league has moved in another direction and Kuminga is likely to find he has no market that's acceptable to him.

GSW might be able to hoodwink some team, Chicago has in recent times been a great mark. But GSW may find there is no sign and trade market for JK.
The idea that Kuminga is gonna get a number starting in the $20s or 30s (!) ... lol ... I'd be shocked

Kuminga is Andre Drummond as a wing.

xdrta+ · Post #13 » by **xdrta+** » Mon May 19, 2025 5:52 pm

I don't mind the deal except that it hard caps the Warriors at the 1st Apron, which makes things really hard on them. They just don't have the room or flexibility to allow that. The second Apron they could live with, but not the first.

Post #14 » by **zimpy27** » Mon May 19, 2025 8:26 pm

I like it

Post #15 » by **gswhoops** » Mon May 19, 2025 9:27 pm

xdrta+ wrote:I don't mind the deal except that it hard caps the Warriors at the 1st Apron, which makes things really hard on them. They just don't have the room or flexibility to allow that. The second Apron they could live with, but not the first.

Sending a player out with a S&T hardcaps you at the second apron - only receiving a player via S&T hardcaps you at the first.

xdrta+ · Post #16 » by **xdrta+** » Mon May 19, 2025 10:35 pm

gswhoops wrote:
xdrta+ wrote:I don't mind the deal except that it hard caps the Warriors at the 1st Apron, which makes things really hard on them. They just don't have the room or flexibility to allow that. The second Apron they could live with, but not the first.

Sending a player out with a S&T hardcaps you at the second apron - only receiving a player via S&T hardcaps you at the first.

Taking back more salary than you send out also hard-caps you at the 1st.

Post #17 » by **gswhoops** » Mon May 19, 2025 10:45 pm

xdrta+ wrote:
gswhoops wrote:
xdrta+ wrote:I don't mind the deal except that it hard caps the Warriors at the 1st Apron, which makes things really hard on them. They just don't have the room or flexibility to allow that. The second Apron they could live with, but not the first.

Sending a player out with a S&T hardcaps you at the second apron - only receiving a player via S&T hardcaps you at the first.

Taking back more salary than you send out also hard-caps you at the 1st.

Yeah fair. I assume JK probably doesn't agree to a S&T for less than what Smith makes though.

xdrta+ · Post #18 » by **xdrta+** » Mon May 19, 2025 10:47 pm

gswhoops wrote:
xdrta+ wrote:
gswhoops wrote:Sending a player out with a S&T hardcaps you at the second apron - only receiving a player via S&T hardcaps you at the first.

Taking back more salary than you send out also hard-caps you at the 1st.

Yeah fair. I assume JK probably doesn't agree to a S&T for less than what Smith makes though.

I was just going by the numbers in the OP.

giberish · Post #19 » by **giberish** » Mon May 19, 2025 11:01 pm

xdrta+ wrote:
gswhoops wrote:
xdrta+ wrote:
Taking back more salary than you send out also hard-caps you at the 1st.

Yeah fair. I assume JK probably doesn't agree to a S&T for less than what Smith makes though.

I was just going by the numbers in the OP.

That is an issue. Assuming that the relevant outgoing number for the 1st apron issue is the BYC reduced value for Kunminga rather than the full salary (which I'm not certain of). GS might be able to fudge around this by sending out another small deal at the same time (as it's close).

OF course if the relevant outgoing number for the 1st apron issue is the BYC reduced value than it will be very tough to make a S&T deal that doesn't hard cap GS at the 1st apron (expect for a Nets deal, and even then GS could only take back a little money (or get a small TPE).