The Golden State Warriors remain in a holding pattern while navigating contract talks with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, resulting in a quiet offseason.
The club has been linked to several free-agent targets, including Al Horford, Gary Payton II, De’Anthony Melton and Seth Curry. Still, they continue to wait until a new deal is reached with Kuminga before handing out any new contracts.
Once the Kuminga situation is resolved, Golden State should still have plenty of options in free agency, including three-time All-Star Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons’ fit with Warriors labeled questionable
Simmons was once a star capable of stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis, but at just 29, he has been reduced to a back-end rotation option. Danny Emerman of The San Francisco Standard believes Simmons’ fit anywhere is questionable, and his lack of confidence as a scorer doesn’t help his case with the Warriors.
“Simmons still has talent and is an elite defender, but he really, really doesn’t want to shoot — don’t get tricked by the annual offseason workout videos — or get to the foul line,” he wrote. “That makes his fit anywhere clunky, and Golden State is no exception.”
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Spacing would be a challenge with Simmons, Draymond Green and Kuminga — should he return — all sharing the court. While Simmons could operate as a small-ball center in place of Green, he has largely been a non-factor offensively.
Simmons still offers some upside at 6-foot-10. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft remains a versatile defender and has shown elite playmaking and rebounding ability in the past.
However, injuries remain a concern for the LSU product, who has appeared in just 108 regular-season games over the past four seasons. Additionally, he hasn’t played more than 60 games in a single season since the 2018-19 campaign.
The best years of Simmons’ career appear well behind him, and the Warriors may not want to take the risk of adding him over several other available free agents.
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