San Antonio Spurs Steal Rising Star from Golden State Warriors in Mock Trade

The San Antonio Spurs may have added veterans Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul this summer, but they are still in the middle of a youth movement. With the league's youngest superstar in Victor Wembanyama and a solid young supporting cast made up of Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Castle, the Spurs are looking to add players that fit their timeline.

Despite only being 25 years old, Keldon Johnson seems to be the odd man out. He was relegated to a bench role last summer and has been included in his fair share of trade rumors .

The Golden State Warriors are in an awkward position. They are still all-in on Stephen Curry, but their young core of Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski is close to taking over, or at least that's what the front office wants to believe.

As the Warriors kick their inevitable rebuild down the road, adding a proven NBA player to the roster while also adding any sort of draft capital for the future will be their priority. In a mock trade proposed by Fadeaway World, the Spurs manage to trade for Kuminga, who has been made untouchable in the past.

Mock Trade

Spurs Receive

• Jonathan Kuminga

Warriors Receive

• Keldon Johnson

• First-round picks in 2025, 2027 (via ATL), and 2028

Three picks might not be enough to pry Kuminga away, but he would fit in the roster rather well. He is not a great three-point shooter, but he is a solid scorer. He is not the best on-ball defender, but Castle, Vassell, and Sochan are all solid there. He can close out well and eliminate catch-and-shoot threats, so he would overall improve the Spurs' defense.

Over the past five seasons, only six NBA players 21 years old or younger have averaged at least 16 points, shot 50 percent from the floor, and posted an above-average PER of 15 or higher. Kuminga joined that group last season, which also features Chet Holmgren, Zion Williamson, Alperen Sengun, Evan Mobley, and Deandre Ayton.

Kuminga shot only 32.1 percent from deep last season but posted the same amount of attempts as the season prior, where he made 37 percent. If he can lock in from deep and space the floor, the Spurs would be smart to make this deal.

Related: DeMar DeRozan Embraces San Antonio

The Spurs have more than their fair share of draft picks and will have to make a deal sooner or later, as they simply can't use all of the picks. While Kuminga is not the best player on the market, only time will reveal who the Spurs could possibly target.