With training camp nearing, the Golden State Warriors need to fill the roster, and the contract standoff with Jonathan Kuminga has restricted several free agency decisions. In the wake of this challenge, the Warriors might take a strategic route, putting their trust in NBA veterans to bolster their roster.
While free agents like Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, and Gary Payton II are in limbo, the Warriors are reportedly eyeing two NBA veterans, whom they could invite to training camp and let them earn their way to the active roster.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dalano Banton recently visited the Chase Center for workouts, signaling a potential Exhibit 10 deal on the way.
“Meanwhile, free agents potentially vying for training camp invites, including Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Dalano Banton, have stopped by Chase Center for workouts recently, per sources,” SF Standard’s Danny Emerman wrote. “That’s typical for this time of year, but usually there would be more clarity on the types of opportunities that might be available.”
Potential free agents seeking “clarity” from Warriors
The Warriors don’t know whether Jonathan Kuminga will sign a one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer or take the offered extension of a two-year, $40-45 million deal. This has kept them in limbo with respect to their cap space, and unless they know how much they’ll have to store for Kuminga, they can’t make major free agency decisions.
The likes of Al Horford and others are waiting to hear from the Warriors. If it were August, it would still be understandable. But now that we are in the final month of the offseason, the prospective free agents are getting restless and are seeking “clarity,” according to Monte Pool of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Quentin Grimes of the Philadelphia 76ers is another restricted free agent whose situation also remains unresolved. But once their situation clears up, the Warriors will be on the clock to make things happen before they start to lose their potential free agent targets.
