Despite very little movement over what's now approaching as two months since free agency opened, the Golden State Warriors are still hoping to re-sign Jonathan Kuminga and have the young forward on their roster entering next season.
However, contract negotiations suggest the Warriors still don't view Kuminga as a bonafide long-term piece. They've only offered the 22-year-old one year of guaranteed money with a second-year team option, leaving Kuminga to resist that contract at present under the notion of wanting to be viewed in higher regard.
Rival teams could screw Warriors' grand Jonathan Kuminga plan
Golden State's grand plan with Kuminga is obvious. In fact, it's so obvious that it might completely derail their hopes before they even have a chance of pulling it off. The Warriors want Kuminga on a short-term contract so they can use him as a trade piece once eligible mid-season, allowing them to bring back the full salary rather than the 50% that currently restricts sign-and-trade options right now.
As part of a summer forecast series starting on Monday, a group of ESPN experts were asked which team is most likely to make a big move before the trade deadline? Golden State received the most votes with seven, topping the list ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (5), Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans (3), Philadelphia 76ers (2) and Memphis Grizzlies (1).
"The Warriors lead this list because they've essentially spent the offseason signalling 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 wrote.
If it's so predictable that the Warriors are trying to use Kuminga as a trade piece, then why are teams going to easily help them out by offering something of serious value when the time comes?
Let's assume for a moment that Kuminga does actually return on a deal that isn't the qualifying offer, and doesn't come with a no-trade clause. If a rival team actively knows you're trying to trade a player mid-season, that automatically reduces the leverage in negotiations.
As a result, teams could easily try to screw the Warriors with mediocre offers that presents a way out of the Kuminga saga rather than obtaining actual value and getting better. The Sacramento Kings have already tried to do that this offseason, initially offering a rather laughable package of Dario Saric, Devin Cater and second-round picks which Golden State promptly rejected.
So, how do you find value for a player you're actively looking to trade? Well, the Warriors will be hoping that another team find themselves in a similar situation -- whether that be the franchise trying to trade the player, or the player desperately seeking a departure.
We saw Golden State take advantage of the latter at last season's deadline, acquiring Jimmy Butler at a discounted rate because of how he'd ruin his relationship with the Miami Heat. The Warriors may have to hope for something similar again, otherwise getting legitimate value for Kuminga could be incredibly difficult.