The Golden State Warriors are one of the league’s oldest teams, but they need to find a solution to their young star’s problem.
The Warriors have struggled to find the same magic they had in their 2022 championship run in the three years since. Going through a couple of disappointing second-round exits and a Chris Paul experiment that never reached the playoffs, the Warriors have been in an odd spot.
Of course, that odd spot was set up by their decisions in the two years leading up to their 2022 title run. Taking a two-timeline approach, the Warriors made three high draft picks, adding James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
While Moody has been a solid rotational player, Wiseman is one of the biggest busts in recent memory and the Warriors are trying their best to cut ties with Kuminga. Perhaps the most notable restricted free agent of the summer, Kuminga has been demanding a much larger deal than anyone seems willing to offer.
With the assumption that he will still be on the Warriors when next season starts, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes believes that the eventual ending to this saga will come in February at the trade deadline. Noting that the financial rules that hinder Golden State’s sign-and-trade possibilities won’t apply to any deadline deal, Hughes expects Kuminga’s best shot at finding a new home to come midseason.
With the relationship between Kuminga and Steve Kerr seemingly beyond repair, it also seems relatively unlikely that any extra time in the Bay will help Kuminga’s trade value. In any case, Golden State and Kuminga want to end their partnership, but neither side is willing to budge until the situation is right.
