The Chicago Bulls had an opportunity to trade for Jonathan Kuminga in the offseason when his value was lowest, but instead decided to hold off. Fast forward to now, and Kuminga is thriving on the Golden State Warriors with an improved mentality. All of a sudden, he’ll be difficult to obtain in any trade. He’s even earned praise from head coach Steve Kerr, who has long been one of his biggest critics.

Chicago has gotten off to a great start at 3-0, but questions persist about the ceiling of their current roster. It’s fair to question whether or not they can ever truly contend for a title. The temptation to trade for a bigger star or a youngster with higher upside will remain strong until the current Bulls show their potential.

A new and improved Jonathan Kuminga

The Warriors are also off to a great start so far, sitting at 3-1, with Kuminga playing a big role. He’s one of the team’s leading scorers at 18.0 points per game on extremely efficient shooting—58.1 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from three, and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. Kuminga’s shot selection has been significantly improved over past seasons, and he has largely eliminated inefficient midrange attempts from his shot repertoire.

It’s also important what Kuminga is doing besides scoring. He’s up to a career-high 8.0 rebounds per game, which is very important for an undersized Warriors team. And he’s dishing the ball at a career-best rate, with 4.0 assists per game through four contests. Compare these to his averages last season of 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists, and it’s clear that he’s taken a step towards becoming a more well-rounded player.

Kuminga would have been a great fit on the Bulls, especially this version of him. He has a similar offensive game to Matas Buzelis, who is off to a strong start for the Bulls. With the Bulls’ fast-paced style and spacing led by Nikola Vucevic’s shooting and Josh Giddey’s passing, Kuminga could have been an ideal fit on the wing.

Kuminga has also shown improvements defensively, an area where the Bulls have made real strides to start the season 3-0. Adding another athletic forward into the mix would only help the Bulls on both ends. Kuminga is quickly showing that his previous defensive flaws were a matter of mental focus, rather than a lack of talent.

During the offseason, Kuminga was embroiled in restricted free agency negotiations that turned much nastier with his current team than Josh Giddey’s situation with the Bulls. In the end, the Warriors signed him to a very team-friendly deal: two years for $47 million, with a team option in the second season. The Bulls may have been able to pry him away with a reasonable trade package or even by making a better offer to him during free agency.