As the Golden State Warriors have entertained trade talks surrounding restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, no team has met the front office's criteria for letting go of one of their most prized assets.
Yet, as trade talks have cooled this offseason and the Warriors have signaled their intention to keep Kuminga into next season, a door has opened for a formerly rumored-suitor, the Brooklyn Nets, to re-emerge once the regular season begins.
Although the Nets were initially rumored to be a team that could be heavily involved in Kuminga talks, none of that materialized this offseason. Yet, if Kuminga is able to showcase his potential in the early parts of the regular season, interest could be revived.
The Brooklyn Nets could re-enter the Kuminga sweepstakes... if he performs well
As the offseason opened, numerous suitors, including the Sacramento Kings, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans, emerged in talks of a potential sign-and-trade for Jonathan Kuminga. Yet, as interest cooled and these talks died down, one team was surprisingly not present: the Nets.
As it stands, Brooklyn is one of only two teams under the salary cap in the entire NBA, with roughly $20 million available and over $60 million until they reach the first apron. This is a very intentional construction by the Nets' front office as they look to maximize their draft capital and future flexibility.
Therefore, there were initial concerns that Brooklyn could tender an offer to Kuminga that Golden State could not match. However, none of these rumors ever materialized, begging the question; were the Nets just not interested in Kuminga?
Kuminga firmly believes that he has All-Star potential in the NBA, and the Nets, dealing with their own restricted free agent in Cam Thomas, certainly were repelled by Kuminga's role at the end of last season, just as many other teams were.
If Kuminga is able to come back to Golden State next season with a better understanding of his role, he will be able to showcase his microwave scoring in addition to some of the more physical parts of his game, increasing his trade value immensely. Moreover, a short-term, tradeable deal would make him a much more viable acquisition for teams like Brooklyn who are not looking to handicap their future flexibility.
In addition to a plethora of young players, many of whom have logjams at their positions, the Nets also possess an incredible eight first-round picks between now and 2030. Therefore, if Kuminga is able to revive interest in his services around the league, the Warriors could benefit heavily from bringing him back.