The Golden State Warriors have more roster questions to answer than just what to do with Jonathan Kuminga. For instance — is there a real backup point guard on this team? Steph Curry, of course, is the starter, but after him, there isn't a clear ballhandler in the second unit. Brandin Podziemski is the de facto backup "point guard" but he's not out there to facilitate.
So the Warriors might be forced to adress this problem on the open market, which... is looking a little rough right now. Cameron Payne is probably the best option still available the Warriors could get on a vet minimum salary. Russell Westbrook would be fun (sometimes) but all signs still point to him eventually signing right across the Bay in Sacramento, and Cory Joseph could be an option too, but might not be enough of a difference-maker at this point in his career.
Payne — although a scary option due to his inconsistencies throughout his career — is probably the only point guard left the Warriors could pick up who could legitimately change games for the Dubs in 2025-26. And when you can get a guy like that in the middle of September to fill a position of need, you don't really have a choice.
Since Steph Curry is so good, backcourt won't look like a position of need most nights; but the importance of a real backup point guard is tough to overstate, so the front office can't overlook it. There will be times when games are swung one way or the other because of backup guard play.
The point guard free agent well has run mostly dry
Things are looking a little bleak for any team still hoping to add meaningful contributors to their roster right now. That's usually the case on September 12th.
Of course, the Kuminga situation makes any other roster moves tougher because the team doesn't know exactly what the payroll will look like for next year and beyond. Still, at this point, with multiple roster spots still likely up for grabs, the front office should really focus on making sure there's at least a viable option to run the backcourt — and Payne could be that.
Last season, Payne played 72 games for the Knicks, and was a little up and down, but did finish the season shooting 36% from deep. He played pretty sparingly in the Knicks' playoff run and didn't look great when he was on the floor, but the Warriors wouldn't need him to be a huge contributor in any potential playoff run next year. Instead, he'd serve as a usually-reliable option to give the second-unit some extra ball-handling chops, which it definitely lacks right now.