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Jonathan Kuminga of the Warriors joins famous people in the trade value rankings provided by analysts.
Golden State Warriors supporters aren’t the only ones taking notice of Jonathan Kuminga’s sudden ascent to prominence; the third-year forward is beginning to receive accolades from reporters and pundits throughout the league.
On the broadcast of Saturday night’s exciting victory over the Phoenix Suns, Mike Breen and Doris Burke couldn’t stop praising the 21-year-old. And who could blame them? Kuminga helped himself to his 10th 20-point performance in the previous 13 games.
The league’s perception of Jonathan Kuminga is growing as more and more observers recognize the striking progress the Golden State Warriors’ forward has made.
Kuminga’s rise is starting to show up in many places; after being squashed into +1000 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook after being +3400 less than a week ago, he’s shot into fourth place for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
Kuminga’s recent improvement was also indicated by The Ringer’s Bill Simmons 2024 Trade Value Rankings. The renowned writer and podcaster highlighted the former lottery selection’s performance last month, moving him up to 61st place.
Number 61: Jonathan Kuminga, who would have turned 161 two months ago, is a dramatic example of how something special is developing. He has been amazing over the past month, utilizing all of his skills as one of the league’s best athletes who is also fiercely competitive.
Kuminga’s ability to drive to the basket and finish strong has been a welcome change of pace for the Warriors, who have relied heavily on perimeter shooting throughout their dynasty years. His rise to the position of second-best scorer on the club has resulted in an impressive surge in aggression.
In the last 13 games, Kuminga has averaged 23.5 points while shooting an amazing 58.7% from the field, grabbing 6.2 rebounds, dishing out 2.5 assists, and committing more than one steal per game. His rise has been a major contributor to Golden State’s team comeback, as the club is presently enjoying a winning run of four games and has gone 6-1 in their last seven.
By 2025, Kuminga should have advanced even farther in Simmons’ trade value rankings given this rate of improvement. The only other player in the top 75 was Stephen Curry, who, despite his sustained prominence as one of the league’s finest players, was ranked an unexpectedly low 11th.
