Over the last few days, rumors of a Michael Porter Jr trade have been circling the NBA. During one of Draymond Green’s podcasts, he mentioned the leap MPJ took this season. Coincidentally, Kuminga’s trade eligibility opened up within the same few days that the podcast was recorded. This could very easily be a coincidence, but there is a chance Draymond was hinting toward a trade.

According to bleacherreport.com, last Thursday, Johnathan Kunminga requested a trade from Golden State. Sports Illustrated claimed that a Warriors insider said they have a real interest in trading for MPJ. This trade is going to be hard to complete due to salaries. Most likely, there is only one structure to get this through. Here is a mock trade that I think benefits both teams.

Nets receive:

• Johnathan Kuminga
• Moses moody
• Al Horford
• 2028, Round 1: GSW pick – Top-8 protected / #9 — #30

Warriors receive:

• Michael Porter Jr

Why does this work?

This trade benefits the Nets because they would be acquiring young talent in Jonathan Kuminga, along with a valuable trade asset, Moses Moody. This season, Kuminga is averaging 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. So why would the Nets give up so much for a 23-year-old role player?

While the basic stats may suggest that, Kuminga is actually the opposite of a role player. He is putting up these numbers in just 23.8 minutes per game over 20 games played. It is clear that Steve Kerr has no interest in playing him, but there is no real reason why. It may simply be that Kuminga does not fit well in Golden State’s offense.

The best way to figure out Kuminga’s potential on another team is to look at advanced stats. Last season, he averaged 24.3 minutes per game over 47 games played. When looking at his per-36-minute numbers, Kuminga averaged 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. On the Nets, this is about the amount of playing time he would get.

Don’t forget, Kuminga is only 23 years old, making him a great piece for Brooklyn’s rebuild. The Nets would also receive Moses Moody. Although I wouldn’t expect Brooklyn to keep Moody or Horford, since Horford is 39 years old and the team has a lot of young talent they cannot afford to let go of, both players are still valuable trade assets for a contending team.

Overall, this move would give the Nets a proven young player and additional assets that could help shape the team’s future.

This trade benefits the Warriors because they need scoring. Since Jimmy Butler got injured, their second-highest scorer behind Curry has been Brandin Podziemski, averaging 12.1 points per game. That production will not get them through the regular season. MPJ is the best addition Golden State can make to add scoring to their roster.

In the end, this trade satisfies both teams in its own way. The Nets get young talent for their rebuild, and the Warriors get a win-now player to assist them with a deep playoff run. With the deadline coming up, only time will tell when the Nets make a move.