Could the Sixers be targeting a player like the Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga for a rookie contract that wasn’t extended?

It’s autumn. The leaves are turning to burnt umber, lime, chartreuse, oxblood, Dijon and rust, but NBA trade slop season has come early!

A top NBA insider and Liberty Ballers alum, Jake Fischer, dropped his first bombshell of the day, announcing that he is returning to Bleacher Report. And then he surprised us with a really exciting speculation. The Sixers could be interested in trading for a rising star like Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors as part of a rookie deal.

Per fisherman:

“Two suitors… the league always plans 18 months in advance, and so I want to put the first domino on the board and make people aware: The Philadelphia 76ers have this $7.9 million deal with KJ Martin (people called him that). “Human trafficking exception”, we need to find better terminology for that…), but KJ Martin is making far more money than he probably would have, whatever his market value, for the opportunity for Philadelphia to potentially trade him. …and that $7.9 million, Kuminga’s $7.6 million [that Jonathan Kuminga makes] Slots right in there.”

In case you’re not familiar with the Sixers’ player salaries, Fischer is alluding to the fact that the Sixers made a so-called “balloon” deal last summer for Martin, the forward who came to the United States from James Harden Blockbuster trading in 2023.

Martin, an athletic specimen, was a problem for the Milwaukee Bucks on the offensive glass in Tuesday’s season opener before the game got out of hand. The IMG Academy product also happens to be the son of former Nets and Nuggets superstar Kenyon Martin, the high-flying power forward and former No. 1 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft.

And Daryl Morey and Elton Brand were aware of the new salary cap and apron landscape and knew that in order to trade some of their now strong draft capital, they would need more players than the minimum salary to get something great in return.

Fischer continues:

“I’m not reporting that the Sixers are definitely looking to convert KJ Martin’s contract to Jonathan Kuminga. But if you’re looking for options, if you’re someone advising Kuminga, or if you’re Kuminga himself and thinking about who might be a potential suitor for you that rewards you with near-max money next year, the Sixers have it has definitely signaled around the league and behind the scenes that they are willing to pay, let’s add another contribution. Right now they’re willing to spend their draft capital, they have more than three (first round picks), they have this super interesting unprotected Clippers 2028 pick that continues to be more interesting [with Kawhi Leonard’s knee issues]…but think about Philadelphia when you look at guys like Kuminga who are on rookie deals or potentially waiting for a big salary day knowing their incumbent team might not be willing to give as much money as Philadelphia, I think they were so focused on maximizing flexibility to tackle Paul George that they were trading Tyrese Maxey to keep their cap low… but I think the Sixers have a lot of willingness, deep to go into the tax if the right people are available and if this ownership group believes in Daryl Morey’s front office, the player they are willing to pay the tax for is someone who will build this title window around Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey really cemented it.”

The Brooklyn Nets are the other team he mentioned as a possible Kuminga contender.

Kuminga, a native of Congolese, is listed as being 1.80 m tall and weighing 90 kg. And if you paid attention worry sphere In Sixersville, they’ve been lacking size, athleticism and rebounding potential at the four spot lately. Kuminga could be someone Morey has in mind. And it sounds like they wouldn’t mind using picks to get him and then paying him what he deserves next summer and eliminating the tax if he cements a title window.

Most of you probably also know Kuminga as the Warriors player who fell on Embiid’s leg last February, resulting in meniscus surgery that the 2023 MVP is still recovering from.

As Fischer makes clear, this is all a bit premature. But Kuminga is only 22 years old. He was the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Caleb Martin, he can play the three or the four and theoretically offers a lot of defensive versatility.

In 2023-2024, he averaged a career-high 16.1 ppg to go along with 0.7 steals and 0.5 blocks in just 26 minutes per game. Per 36 that pops a little more, which equates to 22 ppg, 6.6 reb, 1 steal and 0.7 blocks.

The big question mark is (you guessed it) the jump shot. He is just a career 34 percent shooter from beyond the arc, with a career free throw percentage of 70.6. It’s not a broken sweater. But would he clear the ground? I guess that would be Morey’s big bet. And if that came about (at least the way Andrew Wiggins’ shot developed while playing alongside Steph Curry for a Finals run in 2021-2022), then maybe they really had something.

We take the early harvest before the leaves have even fallen. And Fischer adds that this is the type of player they could be looking at, someone who makes about what Martin makes but who may be in line for a big raise. And the idea that the owners might be willing to help the Brinks realize Morey and Brand’s vision? Then sign me up for this and many other reports like this.