The Golden State Warriors haven’t done much this offseason, in fact they’ve hardly done anything. Outside of Al Horford’s expected signing with the team, the Warriors haven’t made any other transactions, but some are predicting the Warriors to be saving up their big move for during the season.
The holdup for the Warriors’ offseason has largely stemmed from the contract dispute between the organization, and forward Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga is a restricted free agent, and the two sides have been trying to reach an agreement since the start of the offseason, but so far talks have barely progressed.
ESPN’s Summer Forecast panel recently picked the Warriors as the team most likely to make a big move before the trade deadline. ESPN’s Anthony Slater explained the reasoning behind this assumption.
“The Warriors lead this list because they've essentially spent the offseason signaling a desire for deadline movement. Their two-year, $45 million contract offer to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga was designed to get him on a salary number they can flip come January,” Slater said.
The Warriors wish to flip Kuminga after reaching a resolution
In essence, the Warriors have been looking to sign Kuminga, so that they can later flip him for more assets. Kuminga saw his playing time decrease as the season progressed last season, and it’s highly evident that he and the team are not on the same page.
However the situation progresses with Kuminga will likely dictate how the Warriors go about any future transactions. While there is currently still a holdup, eventually the team will have to come to a resolution in some fashion, or they risk missing out on potentially team-changing moves that can raise their current ceiling.