As the Golden State Warriors have sought to build around the momentum they gained by acquiring Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline last season, all their efforts have stalled so far in free agency as a result of the unresolved Jonathan Kuminga situation.
In ESPN's recent offseason grades, written by Kevin Pelton, the Warriors received a grade of "Incomplete", highlighting not only their ineffective offseason but also the fact that, as the organization attempts to maximize their current two-year championship window, a number of questions remain regarding the construction of the roster.
While Golden State cannot soundly make any splashes in free agency until they have sorted out their stand-off with Kuminga, their stagnancy has resulted in possibly the worst-case scenario: a team that does not yet know their full identity.
The Warriors' stagnancy makes their roster for next season even more uncertain
While the Warriors' front office has stated their desire to bring Kuminga back, Kuminga's camp has utilized their leverage in restricted free agency, evidently being in no rush to either seek out a sign-and-trade or return on what is likely to be a short-term, tradeable deal.
Therefore, as Golden State has sought to fill the holes on their roster, including at center and in the backcourt, they have not been able to do so as a result of the uncertainty surrounding their financial situation following a potential Kuminga signing.
Yet, the Warriors have been strongly linked to two free agents, veterans Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton, both of whom would bring strong, dependable presences into the team's rotation: something they needed desperately last season.
As Pelton writes, "If Golden State indeed signs veteran center Al Horford and brings back guard De'Anthony Melton... that would be a solid summer to build on last season's strong finish after the Jimmy Butler trade."
In fact, Golden State does have good reason to have high expectations for next season. Following their acquisition of Butler, the team went 23-8, and, while they ended up in a play-in spot, were one of the best teams in the Western Conference during that time frame.
Yet, while Butler's arrival transformed the trajectory of the team, there were numerous holes in the roster, including a defensive presence in the paint and extra scoring off the bench, that led to their downfall in the playoffs.
Now, although the organization is certainly looking forward to a full offseason with Butler, there is so much uncertainty surrounding the team next season that it can hardly be a more comfortable situation for any of the Warriors' veteran players.
While they attempt to maximize the two-year championship window they have set for themselves, Golden State has already gotten off on the wrong foot for next season, and the uncertainty could lead to some discomfort going into training camp and the preseason.