This TRADE Report is Seriously Concerning…
This new report has Raptors fans very worried as Messiah Jerry’s been a massive fan of Jonathan Kaminga for years now at this point and reports have come out that a trade is imminent for the Golden State Warriors young and upand cominging prospect out here entering this year’s free agency and the price is going to be very expensive and for the Toronto Raptors who are a team on the upswing looking at a young guy Kaminga that fits the timeline that fits the system fits the style of play a lot of people are saying hey he’d be a cool fit. For years, people have been saying Jonathan Kamingo would be a very cool fit. And in a vacuum, I completely agree. But in the current context of where the Toronto Raptors are at in their development timeline with the roster that’s currently out there on this Toronto Raptor team, I’d be very, very worried and paying the price that it would take to bring in Jonathan Kaminga for this Raptors team. So, we’re going to break down this recent report, what it means for the Toronto Raptors, and frankly, why this is a massive risk for this Raptors team if a deal goes through. So, lots of stuff to break down. But folks, as I’ve been mentioning as of late, you guys have been crushing it, hitting that subscribe button. Appreciate all the support we’re getting out here on the videos. But, if you’re a part of the over 52% of our viewers are tuning into the videos, enjoying the content, wanting that daily Raptors news, and haven’t hit the subscribe button just yet, make sure you guys hit that subscribe button. It’s completely free. It’s down below. You hit that button, you get notified whenever we upload. So appreciate every single one of you that are part of the community that are watching the vids, all you that are out here watching this point. But let’s dive into it because there’s a lot of context. There’s a lot of history here with Jonathan Kaminga. So dating back, you know, there’s a couple times we nearly traded for him dating back to a woge report you when the Raptors were doing those Pascal Seakum trades. Essentially, the Warriors must include Jonathan Kaminga in any trade package for Pascal Seakum. They must be prepared to offer Pascal Seakum unequivocal mask max yada yada yada. Basically, when we were making trades, when Messiah Jerry was negotiating the Pascal Seakkum deal, there were chats with, of course, the Pacers, the Kings, and the Warriors, specifically the Warriors talks. The Raptors really wanted Kaminga. So, they almost traded Pascal Seakum, a guy that was uh, you know, a bonafide all-star for this team. You know, a package that centered around Kaminga. And basically, it happened another time when Zack Low, old report again that the the Golden State Warriors engaged with the Toronto Raptors on OG Anobi as well. Sources have said the two sides did not appear to have gotten all that close and talks petered out before the deadline. The Warriors would have uh likely had to include Jonathan Kaminga as a centerpiece of any OG Anobi deal. So multiple trade packages, multiple deals for the Toronto Raptors out there in the past had to include Jonathan Kaminga. And you know this dates there was also chatter, there was buzz about the Raptors debating drafting Jonathan Kaminga the year we obviously ended up taking Scotty Burns. you. He has been linked to the Toronto Raptors for years now at this point. And frankly, he is a good basketball player. He’s a great slasher. He’s still young. This season, his stats were down a little bit in regards to numbers. 15 points per game, 4.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists. You know, he’s 6’8, still only 22 years old, but the shooting percentages is been the thing that’s a bit more off-putting for a lot of people at this point. 30% and 28% out there on the corner threes. So, you know, the shooting is a bit worrisome, but he is still a phenomenal kind of young upand cominging piece talent out there in the NBA. So Ben, why are you horrified about these reports about hey, there’s an opportunity to trade for this young player? There’s an opportunity to trade for this guy. Well, there are two two reasons. Actually, I should bring up the report first so you get the the context. As Anthony Slater, the Athletic, and multiple other outlets have come out and said that Jonathan Kink and the Warriors are expected to explore sign and trade scenarios for him to essentially get the bag that he’s looking for out there in this year’s free agency. as there have been a lot of reports about the the public contract negotiations regarding Jonathan Kaminga and the Golden State Warriors as basically he uh apparently is looking for a $35 million average annual value uh contract before 2024 uh NBA season. So, in the trade negotiations, basically reports are coming out he’s looking for $35 million per year, which is just a ton of money. And essentially, uh, reports and, uh, basically, uh, the Warriors offered Kaminga a 5year $150 million deal before this past season extension, which he declined, opting to bet on himself to likely command between 20 and $25 million out there in the open market. So, 5year $150 million, that’s $25 million per year. that’s what he turned down in terms of his extension of the Golden State Warriors last season. So, he is going to get paid. So, it’s a lot of money that you have to tie up into Jonathan Kuminga that frankly is a player that hasn’t proven himself as that level of guy out there in the NBA. I don’t think uh you know by a lot of standards and the Raptors are paying a lot of people a lot of money now at this point. Brandon Ingram, Emanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Yaka Purle, you see just down below. Scotty Barnes $38 million per year deal is kicking into effect, you know, starting next season. So there is a lot of money the Raptors have tied in up right now and frankly Jonathan Kaminga does not put us over the top of some championship contending thing. We are tax team at that point and we are in a you know messy messy spot. So that is something to really factor in. And of course in terms of the deal because as brought up as a sign and trade well you’re paying a different price if you’re doing a sign and trade out there on that front and that price ends up being a guy that I have been so outspoken on these videos that I do not want to trade RJ Barrett. We cannot just be trading this guy willy-nilly again. Giannis onto Tumbos in this trade situ. Okay that love RJ to death. I got his jersey up behind me. I’m sorry R.J. like Giannis is on the table. As long as there’s not a crazy amount like you’re you’re mortgaging your tie for like you’re getting dealt in that package. I think everyone would accept that and you know whatever’s going on there. But in terms of these packages, even guys like Jonathan Kaminga who we compare the stats, right? We compare the stats for Jonathan Kaminga 154 and two, right? 30% from the three-point line, 28% out there in corner threes. That’s his stats right now. And again, it’s a messy situation. I I’ll steal man the argument for Jonathan coming after. 21 points per game, six rebounds, 5.4 assists for RJ Barrett this season, 35% from the three-point line, and 40% out there on corner threes. He was the focal point of a lot of teams defensive coverages last season. He really commanded the squad. Like RJ Barrett really impressed me last season in terms of his production, in terms of his skill level, and frankly like people are talking about fit, he can’t shoot, he can’t do like 35% of the threes and then 40% of the corners. That is a guy that fits very very well around a Scotty Barnes around Brandon Ingger Brown this team. So I don’t know I don’t get all the nonsense everyone trying to dangle uh RJ Barrett out there for nothing but the reality is RJ Barrett just might get traded in one of these packages. Mike Scottto essentially broke down that Barrett was discussed in trade talks for Brandon Ingram with New Orleans. But the Pelicans preferred the expiring contracts of Bruce Brown and stretch center Kelly Olen. You know they had a few guys in the wings which I think is just absolutely absurd. Like I think that is stupid out there for the New Orleans Pelicans. But uh with the Toronto Raptors envisioning a front quarter Scotty Barnes and newly extended Brandon Ingram along with former lottery picky Dick at shooting guard, where does that leave current leading scorer RJ Barrett’s future? Based on conversations before the deadline, Barrett could be a trade candidate to moderator this summer. So if RJ Barrett is just getting sold for peanuts, if we are trading him and Messiah Juri just doesn’t believe in the vision, wants to give more minutes to Jacobe Walter, Grady Dick, AJ Lawson, whoever’s out here on this team, then Jonathan Kaminga is not that bad of a, you know, centerpiece in return. And depending on the contract, depending on what we’re getting back, even though that contract is fairly expensive, the shooting I am a little bit bullish on in terms of what could be for Jonathan Kaminga because in previous seasons, you see out there on the far right side of these stats, you know, on corner threes, he was shooting 42% from the corners in the 2022 2023 campaign. However, uh those numbers of course have dipped over the past couple seasons, but at least for 65 games there in his 2022 2023 season, that was a bit better shooting 37% from the three-point line. So, it has gone down. It’s a downward trajectory which is not that positive. But at least we’ve seen some of it here now at this point. So, you know, maybe that jump shot does come back. You know, he gets more consistent run. It’s less messy in terms of uh you know, how he’s playing out there on this team. Again, he was relegated to weird roles for the Warriors. That can mess with the young players confidence and the Raptors development system. Maybe he blossoms and becomes that star player. You know, I’m not writing that off if that’s the case. But, you know, if if RJ Barrett’s just getting traded in like these trade packages that we’re looking at that Mike Mike Scott kind of brought up, then sure, Jonathan Kaminga is a cool piece to pick up. But, I’m just really really worried that the Raptors are going to give up on RJ Barrett when they really shouldn’t. So, let me know what you guys think about all this in the comments section se section down below. You guys the best thing this far. Subscribe to the channel if you guys haven’t already. Anyways, I’m signing out. Cheers.
The Toronto Raptors have been linked to Jonathan Kuminga for a very long time, and now reports have revealed a trade for the Warriors wing is imminent. Ben Rogers breaks down what this means for the Raptors and why fans are worried.
Raptors Digest is a YouTube Channel that covers all the latest news, trades, reports, and rumours regarding the Toronto Raptors. We provide comprehensive coverage on topics such as game highlights, player performances, and in-depth analysis of team strategies. Our channel features discussions on key players like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Jamal Shead, Bruce Brown and Jakob Poeltl, as well as insights from Head Coach Darko Rajaković and General Manager Masai Ujiri. Stay tuned for all the exciting updates and engaging content on everything Raptors!
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35 Comments
Where would he play ain’t he a 3 or 4? Just doesn’t make much sense at this point
Only time I woulda been interested in Kuminga is when Pascal was still with the team. Now I don’t care cuz of the assets we have now. Why trade a young guy who should have been an all star last season for a young guy that plays off the bench?
I would no be shocked if we do this honestly. People need understand Masai tried to trade RJ already and if the Pelicans didn’t value cap space over his big contract he would be there right now. If Golden state is throwing in their 2026 first round pick and anything else I can see Masai pulling the trigger. We can’t afford all these guys anyways and the fit with Barnes, RJ and Ingram is highly questionable. Ingram literally had to take a pay cut to keep us under the cap so we don’t have much wiggle room. Masai doesn’t like operating under a tight cap he like’s having flexibility and the fact he tried to trade RJ already means he’s likely looking to create some kind of flexibility. Golden state has a bunch of old guys and with the West getting better and better who knows if they crash and burn next season and their 2026 pick become highly valuable. People need to stop acting as if RJ is some kind of allstar is this league. At his age a player like Derozan was already an allstar. Some raptors fans are simply blinded by homer-rism. RJ is a good player but he isn’t some kind star or superstar level player that should be considered untouchable. it’s ridiculous! Untroubled players are stars and superstars in this league.
Ya when i heard they wanted to give up RJ for Ingram I was so surprised and pelicans are nuts to have turned that down. But based on that it doesnt seem like Masai has much faith in him.
My prediction: Kuminga is NOT going to get PAID. He's this years' Gary Trent.
How about Quickly for Kuminga?
@benrogers surprised you didnt mention at combine interview derik queen dissed toronto saying he doesnt like the high taxes in toronto. kid saying that at the draft is hinting to raptors dont draft me.
He’s getting traded for cam Johnson watch
No 5 years at 25 million Ben is not $150
The math ain’t mathin
If we can get him straight up for RJ and kaminga agrees to 28 million a year or so I would do it. He’s more athletic, bigger body, steonger and a better defender
I believe Masai is working now to try and trade up in the draft. Probably to number 7 with new Orleans to lock up Khaman Maluach. Don’t be surprised is it happens. Remember, who’s the team that we ALMOST traded RJ to this year? New Orleans , qnd they have a new front office now.
I can see that. I can also see us trading RJ to acquire another first round pick this year. Maybe to a team like brooklin. They need players. They have 4 first round picks. Maybe it’s picks 19 / 22 and whatever money works. I would do it. This draft is stacked. We have a lot of
Fringe guys
BARRETT? U KIDDING NOT ON THIS CLOWN…LOL, HES NOT A STAR, HOPE NOT, KUMINGA FOR BARRETT NO WAY
Zero chance
Lol 35 million a year lol …ok budz … he would be lucky now to get 11 million a year , he had a horrible year and even worse playoffs
Not gonna happen
Kuminga isn’t worth BI money
I wouldn’t want to do this trade strictly because of the off court situation( rj being hometown kid, vibes with team etc) it would break my heart to trade him but the truth is and on court fit Kuminga in RJ’s role as the down hill rim pressure finisher, Kuminga has a much higher upside. Kuminga is bigger, way more athletic, has the elite defense upside. Id give rj the shooting edge but Kuminga is also younger. If Kuminga would model his game after the raptors version of RJ i think Kuminga becomes the better version ngl. Im not a fan of trade for political reasons but as a team building move this a chance to increase ceiling of the team and bring in a talent upgrade. Its is risky trade as no guarantee Kuminga buys in, those boneheaded plays we’ve seen RJ limit in his game, Kuminga would make even more boneheaded decisions if he wont buy in, then also the morale would be impacted as i see Rj as a young vet now, Toronto legend it would be a hard sell to move him unless bringing back a superstar. Its a risky move but imagine the potential. I can definitely see masai seriously considering this trade
I'm a believer in Kuminga. I think he's been unfairly shafted in GS by Steve Kerr's bias. I imagine Kuminga is disgruntled and wants out. But getting him should be a buy-low opportunity and giving up RJ is too expensive. I'd pass on this, unless the asking price comes down.
This time of year there is lots of “reports” that are totally fabricated – and use lots of would and could or might’s in all of them.
Kuminga has tanked his own value beefing with Kerr last couple years. He’s demanded a trade anyway at least twice. Likely more – he’s had to come off the bench and deliberately throw plays refusing to pass to stuff or hesitating and not shooting, Their relationship is the problem and he’s likely played his last game there. The charachter issues with him are loud right now.
He’s restricted, so warriors have a say – so of course they’ll have talked sign and trade. And you bet he’ll sign an offer sheet if he can get one as warriors aren’t going back into the tax to match – not much to say here. He’s not a fit for the Raps as built now. He’s a 3 body that small size warriors played 4 and we already have Scottie and BI that do same – only better.
And we all know how Masai and Bobby feel about charachter.
Zero truth to this right now.
That ship has sailed.
Stay away…Kuminga gives off Gary Trent vibes as he can get very hot then disappears some games. Surely RJ can return more no?
@benrogers the situation with kuminga on the warriors is, when they traded for butler, kuminga was no longer a good fit on the warriors as butler is better than kuminga in every aspect at this point. kuminga was also in a contract year and put on the bench and given DNP's. the issues with kuminga on the warriors who were contenders is that he really didnt get the developmental reps to reach his potential.
so i believe kuminga thought he was in the same class as cade, mobley, scottie barnes, franz wagner, and he saw them all get rookie max extensions. so i believe he thought because he didnt get the opportunity, he still deserved that rookie max.
what is kuminga worth in the current luxury tax era. i would think market value would be 30 million a year for 4-5 years. but he likely wants 35 million a year for 5 years. give the way the luxury tax going up by about 10 million every year, the raptors if they trade for kuminga, will have to offer 30-35 million a year for 4-5 years. if darko can unlock him, then that would be a steal as he is more athletic and a vertical athlete than anyone on the raptors squad. would he start on raptors? no. but coming off the bench he would probably be the best bench player.
Masai takes risks
Fuck no why would we trade kuminga for rj
From the other comments I think this is going to be unpopular but I think a RJ for Kuminga is fine if he signs for minimum 4 years and 25 million per year is my max. But for me I think the thing that is overlooked here is Trayce Jackson-Davis is a player I love and he is not played a lot in Warriors system. I go rights to Boucher or Ochai which is a defensive guy Kerr loves for Kuminga and Trace Jackson Davis. Only if Kuminga agree to the 25 million a year for at least 4 years. We only have one more year of RJ before we have to look at giving him a bag of cash and the raptors will be in cap jail in two years with a RJ raise.
Trayce Jackson-Davis can produce stats better than Jalen Duren currently if he had the same minutes.
@benrogers the situation with RJ Barrett. the situation is simply about salary and luxury tax. rogers wont pay the luxury tax. currently with 11 players under contract and the 9th pick, and non guarantees for lawson and castleton, the raptors are about 2 million over the tax, without signing the 39 pick and the undrafted player. and RJ, Ochai and poeltl all have early contract extensions this summer and all are due for big raises which the raptors cant afford. the raptors likely can pay jakob poeltl.
ochai getting 6 million in his contract year likely is due for at least 12 million a year, and possibly up to 16 million a year.
RJ having a career year is likely gonna ask for a big raise. his contract has 2 seasons left but if they leave it with rising luxury tax, RJ could be getting 40-45 million if they leave it till his contract year with luxury tax going up.
right now RJ in an early extension is likely getting 35-36 million a year for 4-5 years.
that means luxury tax problems.
so thats why RJ and Ochai are in trade rumors cuz the raptors cant afford them cuz rogers wont pay the tax.
now if they can package IQ and ochai to kings for demar and jv and draft compensation coming to raptors, then that would be ideal. as RJ still has potential to become more than he is.
Kaminga has not lived up to draft order, it's out of player control where and who picks him. He has not been developed by GS, nor has he developed his game. He needs a change of scenery, but GS is not getting back a godfather package for a sign and trade. Would rather keep the picks, RJ and salary and keep developing Mobo
🥱🥱🥱🥱🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@benrogers now can warriors and raptors get a deal done? i dont think so. the problem with warriors is they try to lowball the raptors in any trade, its why the siakam and og deals fell apart. I dont think the raptors and warriors front offices will be able to find common ground to make a deal.
Rj is 2 years older but a much better player and has improved every year. kuminga's potential going into his 5th season well thats no longer a good selling point. kuminga isnt even good defensively and he isnt a better ball handler or passer than rj. and i would say RJ has much higher basketball IQ as well.
The warriors will probably offer the 2026 pick with top 13 protections to hedge against injury. and raptors will say no to that. the warriors pick is likely gonna be in the teens unless they have injuries. but rj for kuminga in a sign and trade, it would likely have to be no or light protection. the raptors will be eating more contract salary also if kuminga signs a 31 million a year contract or have to throw in ochai to match salaries. and the warriors probably want ochai for free or for a 2nd round pick.
i give it a 1 percent chance warriors and raptors front office can get a deal done.
Not worth trading RJ for Kuminga.
RJ is solid. Kuminga is not there yet….so no thank u
Time to give Masai a team in Haiti.
This is a giant NOTHING BURGER, Rj is a way better player, and he's a hometown kid, so no matter how many times people say this…. It will never happen.So let's just move on, shall we.
This stuff is ludicrous lol 21 6 n 5 for Kuminga 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Damn I thought we were better than this Raptors
We don’t need Kuminga
Trading for Kuminga makes no sense. We can offer him a contract the Warriors don't want to match.
5 years at 130 is 25 a year. Nice math Ben. Try again.