Paul George calls Siakam-Kuminga trade framework 'a win for both sides'

With the NBA's trade deadline one month away, Paul George tried his hand at finding an ideal landing spot for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam.

On Monday's episode of Podcast P with Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers star and his co-hosts discussed the possibility of a deal that would send Siakam to Golden State for a package headlined by Jonathan Kuminga.

"I saw them put [Siakam] and Kuminga in a trade, and I thought about it, and I was like 'that's a win for both sides,'" George said. "Obviously, Golden State would have to add more... but that is a trade that works for both sides.

"I think [Siakam] can be a No. 1 option, but that's not where he's the best. I think him being the second, third option is where he can really shine."

In the 2023-24 season, Siakam is averaging 22.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists over 36 games while shooting 52.3 per cent from the field and 29.7 per cent from three.

After helping Toronto claim the 2019 NBA championship as one of the top supporting pieces in basketball, winning the league's Most Improved Player award, Siakam took on the lead role following the departure of Kawhi Leonard.

In five seasons serving as Toronto's de facto No. 1 option, Siakam has only added to his resume. In that time, he's made two All-Star Games and twice been named to an All-NBA Team.

"He's a guy that can do a little bit of everything. He can defend, he finishes, he can shoot the three ball," George said of Siakam. "I think it works perfectly playing with Steph [Curry], playing with Klay [Thompson]. They can spread the floor, he can rebound, he can play make."

The Warriors are in the midst of a disappointing season, sitting 11th in the Western Conference with a 17-19 record.

Kuminga, the seventh-overall pick in 2021, has been making headlines recently for his displeasure with Golden State head coach Steve Kerr and the amount of playing time he's received.

According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the two met on Friday to discuss Kuminga's frustration.

The 21-year-old is averaging 12.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on 50.2 per cent shooting. He has played an average of 22.6 minutes per game.

“I think it went really well,” Kuminga said of the meeting, per Slater's report. “I think it was just all about better understanding of each other. More communication. We don’t really get to sit together as much and communicate about pretty much non-basketball things, basketball things. We don’t get to do that as much. Just us having that conversation today made me more comfortable that any time I have something to ask, I should just go up to his office."

While it might seem like a clean fit as a starting point to a deal, Sportsnet's Michael Grange reported Saturday that the Warriors are hesitant to deal Kuminga, and see him as a "rare piece on the roster who can help support Curry in the present and transition to a successful post-Curry future, should it ever come."

Siakam's contract status also complicates any potential deal, as the pending free agent's willingness to sign a long-term deal with whichever team acquires him will play a large part in the package heading back to Toronto.

Despite all the potential complications of any Kuminga-Siakam trade, George believes that in the aftermath of the Raptors' trade with the New York Knicks to acquire RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, the Warriors' young forward would fit the team's timeline perfectly.

"I think Kuminga is coming into his own," he said. "Toronto is kind of in this rebuild, but ready to get better and win now. They just traded for [Barrett], Quickley. Those are young guards. They have Scottie Barnes there now, and then you add another young guy like Kuminga — that could be a fun team for years to come."