The Jonathan Kuminga saga continues to drag on. Right now it just remains same story, different day with this stuff. But let's look at some positives for a change, shall we? If Kuminga does return to the Bay Area, he'll be bringing back some needed skills to this Golden State Warriors roster.
It's the unique blend of youth and athleticism that makes Kuminga such an interesting candidate to re-sign. There's been so much talk of trading him, albeit for understandable reasons, that I think we've swung too far in the direction of forgetting about all that he would bring to the table if he were to return to the Warriors.
Sure, he may want a larger role than he needs to play, and we'll see how that shakes out. But in the meantime, Golden State is going to be in need of the type of talent Kuminga brings to the hardwood.
It's clear that this roster is aging right now. Last season, the Warriors had the second-oldest team in the association by average age at 28.2, just 0.2 behind the Phoenix Suns. Yes, the core of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green still represents this organization's best shot at winning a title, but they can't do it off of their backs alone.
The Warriors are in need of Kuminga's athleticism
Every year you get older in the NBA, you're going to be subjecting your body to more wear and tear. And no matter how durable you are, the human body isn't an unbreakable machine. The Warriors know they can only rely on their three main guys to stay healthy up to a certain point.
On top of that, it's safe to say that neither Curry, nor Butler or Green are as capable athletically as they once were. And that's where Jonathan Kuminga comes in on both fronts. With his youth and ability to play a certain style, he's going to be taking weight off the stars' backs with every minute that he's on the court.
I guess the other larger point I'm getting at here is the overall general lack of depth present on the roster right now as well. The longer this process of trying to get Kuminga to sign the qualifying offer drags out, the more the team should be looking in the mirror to realize they probably need him more than they realize.
If Golden State isn't able to come to an agreement on a trade (it would be a surprise if they did at this point), then they should try to see the glass half full here. There's still a lot of positives to bringing Jonathan Kuminga back on board, considering the circumstances.