As the Golden State Warriors have looked for answers to their Jonathan Kuminga situation this offseason, an entirely unexpected solution has arisen: a rarely-seen sign-and-trade swap between Kuminga and Josh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls.
Yet, as revealed by NBA Insider Jake Fischer on the latest newsletter from The Stein Line, the Warriors could have drafted Giddey originally in 2021 and were only forced to take Kuminga once the Australian guard was snatched up by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now, Golden State is stuck in a contractual quagmire with Kuminga's representation, making the fact that this could have been avoided entirely had the 2021 Draft unfolded differently especially frustrating.
The Warriors almost could have drafted Josh Giddey instead of Kuminga
According to Fischer, "The Warriors were prepared to select Giddey with the seventh overall pick in the 2021 draft, sources say, only for Oklahoma City to chose Giddey and steer the Warriors toward selecting Kuminga at No. 7 overall."
At the time, both of these moves made sense for the respective organizations.
The Thunder were in the process of a rebuild, accumulating young talent and stacking their roster with as many players with scoring potential as possible. The Warriors, meanwhile, had benefitted from an injury-riddled year and were attempting to augment their "Two Timelines" approach with a dynamic young forward.
However, things took an unexpected turn for both organizations. Over time, it was revealed that Giddey's strength lied primarily in his facilitation abilities, and, as superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became more and more dominant within the Thunder's offense, it became clear that the team needed to move on from Giddey.
Giddey was traded to Chicago last offseason in a one-for-one swap for Alex Caruso.
Simultaneously, Kuminga has failed to add the necessary defensive and hustle-rooted aspects to his game that would cement him as a trusted asset within head coach Steve Kerr's rotation.
Now, four seasons into their career, both players are in the same position: attempting to negotiate long-term contracts with organizations who see their value as less than what the open market might dictate.
While this is a scenario that operates purely in the realm of the hypothetical, the Thunder selecting Kuminga with the sixth overall pick in 2021 would have landed them a player that could have competed and gotten a long runway alongside a very young core, ultimately getting the chance to earn a significant role on a championship-contending team.
Giddey going to the Warriors, meanwhile, would have given the young guard the opportunity to work himself into the team's offense slowly, ultimately developing his ball-handling skills within the context of the Steph Curry's offensive gravity.
Now, however, Golden State is left with the mess it has created with Kuminga, attempting to salvage a relationship that has been damaged time and time again through a lack of organizational trust. One can only wonder what could have been.