Jonathan Kuminga is the highest profile player the Golden State Warriors will have to make a decision on this offseason, but he's not the only young forward who's future with the franchise is up in the air.
Gui Santos became a fan favorite and common part of the rotation during the second-half of the season, having often been a spark off the bench for the Warriors with his defensive tenacity, rebounding and ability to make hustle plays.
Santos' development was a major positive for Golden State in the final months of the regular season, but like many of his young teammates his impact dwindled during the postseason. The Brazilian forward went from averaging 13.6 minutes during the regular season to just 7.2 minutes in the playoffs, having also received two DNPs in Game 3 of the respective series' against the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors have a team option on Gui Santos' contract
Despite the more limited playing time in the playoffs, you'd think Santos still did more than enough in his second season to stick with the Warriors moving forward. However, that may not necessarily be the case, particularly as the franchise takes more of a short-term approach focusing on the next two years with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green.
Golden State have flexibility with Santos' $2.2 million deal for next season. They have a team option on the contract, but it also doesn't become fully guaranteed until next January ($225,000 becomes guaranteed in September).
Most importantly, that gives the Warriors the luxury of time to go out and assess the free agency and trade market to see what alternative options may be available. For example, could Golden State get their hands on a more proven experienced forward that's more aligned to their short-term plans than Santos is?
Of the free agency crop of forwards, does one or more of Larry Nance Jr., Trey Lyles, Guerschon Yabusele or Taurean Prince make more sense than Santos on the roster? Perhaps, but they're not mutually exclusive -- there's a good chance the Warriors can acquire a forward this offseason while retaining Santos on the roster.
Given Golden State are hoping to add more size and shooting to the roster this summer, it would be strange if they moved on from a 6'8" forward who's got a usable jump-shot and shown strong signs of being a winning player. Still, Santos faces some uncertainty this offseason like many of his teammates.