The Golden State Warriors are in dire need of more offensive firepower.
Golden State’s list of reliable scoring threats outside of their 4-time NBA champion and 2-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry is remarkably short, as was proven throughout the team’s five-game series defeat in the 2025 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors’ 22-year-old rising star Jonathan Kuminga showed promise as a go-to scorer against Minnesota prior to his team’s eventual postseason elimination, but the soon-to-be restricted free agent may have solidified himself as a coveted sign-and-trade candidate to offer in a deal for an upgrade.
If Golden State’s general manager Mike Dunleavy were to begin negotiations with franchises around the league to find a consistent offensive option, the Utah Jazz could emerge as a suitable trade partner. According to recent reports, the Jazz could be fielding offers for their underrated power forward John Collins this summer, a player that the Warriors could watch closely.
“The Jazz plan to explore trade scenarios for John Collins once he opts into his $26.5 million expiring contract,” Sidery shared via Twitter/X on Tuesday morning.
“Collins averaged 18.9 points and 8.2 rebounds on a 62.8 TS% with Utah this season.”
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“Utah almost dealt Collins in February, but it fell through ahead of the deadline.”
With Collins likely opting into his hefty $26.5 million player option for 2025-26, it could be the perfect opportunity for Golden State to put pen to paper on a similar contract with Kuminga before shipping the promising forward to a rebuilding squad in Utah.
At just 27 years old, the ex-Atlanta Hawks star might become a top priority for Golden State because of his unreal athleticism, accurate three-point shooting and overall efficiency.
In only 40 appearances for the Jazz this past regular season, Collins contributed 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds while knocking down 39.9% of his looks from distance and boasting a fantastic 62.8% true shooting percentage.
As a potential pick-and-roll partner and outside shot-making threat to be deployed next to Curry, Collins could transform the Warriors’ revolutionary offensive scheme even further.
Drive-and-kick opportunities have become a staple in the Warriors’ game-plan. With that being said, the 6-foot-9 forward’s unreal 43.9% accuracy on corner three-point attempts hint that he’d serve as a deadly option on kick-out passes from Curry or Butler.
If the Warriors are able to introduce Collins into their rotation in 2025-26, there’s plenty of reason to believe that the dynastic organization can make another deep playoff run.
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