In relation to Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors are damned in the event that they do and damned if they do not. With lower than a month earlier than coaching camps begin, Golden State has but to signal the 22-year-old ahead to any kind of contract.
The issue is that every one the benefits on this scenario appear to go to Kuminga, who’s keen to play for the Warriors if head coach Steve Kerr provides him the prospect.
Kuminga is a primary instance of every part unsuitable with the present incarnation of the legendary staff. Their huge stars are extremely gifted however have been within the league for a very long time and easily aren’t the dominant gamers they was.
The issue is that Kerr appears to nonetheless rely closely on his growing older stars over constructing younger expertise for the subsequent era of Warriors’ greats. Golden State took Jonathan Kuminga seventh within the 2021 NBA Draft for precisely that sort of constructing course of.
Since then, he has spent numerous time on the bench and gotten inconsistent minutes at finest. The message from the Warriors is that they don’t know how he matches in.
Jonathan Kuminga is in cost in free company negotiations
Because it stands proper now, Kuminga is a restricted free agent. He can speak to different groups, however the Warriors have a say in how that performs out. For now, not less than.
The present qualifying provide from the Warriors has a deadline of October 1st. If nothing main occurs between every now and then, that is the contract Kuminga will find yourself signing, making him a Warrior for yet another season.
That is an enormous downside for Golden State. That qualifying provide has a no-trade clause, which means they cannot transfer him throughout the season. It additionally means he walks on the finish of the 2025-2026 season, leaving the Warriors with nothing to indicate for his departure.
The Warriors have provided him a two-year contract with a staff choice in yr two. Kuminga’s camp has outright rejected that, as they need a participant choice in yr two.
Contemplating how the Warriors have handled him, it is not shocking he would wish to retain as a lot management over the scenario as potential. This has left the Warriors in a troublesome spot, significantly due to the time it is taking to kind out.
The Warriors cannot make strikes till fixing the Kuminga downside
Kuminga is not the one transfer the Warriors have to make sooner moderately than later. Gary Payton II is a free agent and somebody Golden State desires to maintain on the staff.
Till they know what’s occurring with Kuminga, the entrance workplace appears unwilling to make a transfer on re-signing GPII. The identical is true of Al Horford, who the Warriors need however may really retire earlier than they signal him if they do not hurry up.
How this season performs out for the Warriors relies upon closely on what occurs with Jonathan Kuminga. On the similar time, they put themselves on this place by not taking younger expertise critically and sticking with an growing older core.
