The Golden State Warriors recently squashed their summer-long stalemate with incoming fifth-year combo-forward Jonathan Kuminga, but his reported agreement to a two-year, $48.5 million contract with the franchise will not mark the end of their continued saga.
Golden State’s general manager Mike Dunleavy’s work is far from over on the Kuminga front, and Dunleavy’s next course of action will be to locate a potential trade destination for the explosive wing.
If Dunleavy were to scour the market for a possible partner in a deal, it’s plausible to believe that the Indiana Pacers could be a fantastic match.
Kuminga’s incredible athleticism and two-way potential might interest the Pacers’ front office, and the Warriors could seek a few young impact players to assist their aging core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
A hypothetical trade framework that might satisfy both parties could see Kuminga head to the Pacers in exchange for Indiana’s impressive wing Bennedict Mathurin along with Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard.
By prospectively completing this deal, Golden State would land a more versatile scorer in Mathurin and two promising prospects who have displayed past three-point shooting ability. On the other side of the agreement, Indiana would bring in a player that fits their run-and-gun, high-flying, fast-breaking game-plan to a tee.
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As the highlight of this imaginary trade for Golden State, Mathurin’s more controlled offensive production, tighter handle and improved defense would have a chance to mesh well alongside Curry in certain lineup configurations.
In 72 appearances for the Pacers in the 2024-25 regular season, Mathurin contributed career-highs of 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds. Indiana’s former No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft also authored a few signature performances for his team throughout the 2025 NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Mathurin’s 27-point outburst in Game 3 of the Finals led the Pacers to a 116-107 victory on their home floor to take a 2-1 series lead over the Thunder before Oklahoma City would eventually storm back to win the championship in seven games.
After gaining invaluable postseason and NBA Finals experience in 2024-25, Mathurin’s hunger to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy could be exactly what the Warriors need to assert themselves as true contenders in a loaded Western Conference.
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