As the Golden State Warriors have decided that they will likely re-sign Jonathan Kuminga, effectively eliminating the possibility of any sign-and-trade this offseason, it is certainly possible that this could be seen as a mistake in hindsight.
Yet, the Warriors also avoided a pair of mistakes in retaining Kuminga by not taking on future problems from potential suitors: Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings and Mark Williams of the Phoenix Suns.
Although neither player was concretely reported to be involved in such talks, both were rumored as potential targets in a possible sign-and-trade, and, with both players being extension-eligible in the near future, Golden State avoided a move that would hamstring their flexibility past their two-year championship window.
Warriors avoided the burden of over-paying their return in a Kuminga trade
As the offseason opened, a number of teams arose as rumored suitors for Kuminga, including the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans.
Yet, as the market cooled on restricted free agents across the league, two suitors remained: the Kings and Suns.
The Suns, who don't have a tradeable first-round pick and are in a sticky situation on an organizational level, were never true suitors given the Warriors' stated desire of an unprotected first-round pick in any deal for Kuminga. Yet, the Suns reportedly had strong interest in bringing Kuminga in, and, had Golden State decided to compromise on their demands, there is a real possibility that a trade could have been completed.
The Kings, meanwhile, were the lone team in the running right up until the Warriors cut off talks entirely. Their final proposal included Malik Monk and a 2030 protected first-round pick.
Yet, in a deal with the Suns, the young player coming back would likely have been Williams, who was traded to Phoenix this offseason. Despite his injury history, Williams has great potential as a rim-protecting center, as he averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season.
Meanwhile, Murray, who might have been preferable to Monk in a deal with the Kings, could have certainly taken on a role in Golden State's frontcourt. Last season, he averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Nevertheless, both players carry severe doubts concerning their games, and both players will be restricted free agents next offseason. Murray is likely to get somewhere in the $25 million range despite his declining perimeter shot, and Williams will likely fetch a similar value from Phoenix.
Therefore, the fact that Kuminga's main suitors' would have likely offered these players as their young assets in any potential deal likely had sway on the Warriors' decision to back out of trade talks. While these players would have helped Golden State make great strides towards contention, they have opted for flexibility moving forward.