The high point of the NBA offseason came and went without the Golden State Warriors doing anything. The entire offseason has gone by without the team re-signing a player, signing a new face, or making a trade. Fans have been waiting for a restricted free agency domino to drop. What will happen with Jonathan Kuminga?
On Thursday, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that he spoke with Kuminga, saying that the forward is in "good spirits" and in no rush to decide his future. Charnia added that the Warriors received offers from the Suns and Kings, but that they weren't enough.
Kuminga wants to be a featured player, something that hasn't happened in the Bay, and won't happen if he sticks around. He wants the opportunity to prove that he's a star. If he had things his way, he'd get the payday he wants from another team. There is a reason why he isn't in a rush to accept the Warriors' offers.
We're in the dead part of the offseason, but maybe we'll eventually get some action with a Kuminga sign-and-trade. Or, if the Warriors sign him to a two or three-year deal, he could be traded before the February deadline. So, if he isn't traded this summer, odds are he will be during the season or next offseason, unless he magically finds the fit he wants in San Francisco.
A sign-and-trade is still an option for the Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga
ESPN's Anthony Slater confirmed that Golden State wants a "promising young player" and a first-round pick for Kuminga in a sign-and-trade. The Suns mortgaged their future for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, two players who aren't on the roster anymore, so they don't have a first-round pick to send to the Warriors.
Slater added that Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, has "spent much of July searching for sign-and-trade opportunities."
Kuminga is stuck between a rock and a hard place as a restricted free agent. Teams no longer have the cap space to make him an offer, so his path to leaving the Warriors this offseason is a sign-and-trade. Again, it's clear that he wants to go. He's holding out on accepting an offer from Golden State, hoping that an opportunity to leave will materialize.
Fans might have thought that this saga would come to an end soon, as we're at the end of July. While that could happen, it doesn't seem likely.
Will a sign-and-trade happen? Or will Kuminga agree to a short-term deal with the Warriors, banking on a future trade? TBD.