The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have had four years to work out if they have a future together, yet we're no closer to having an answer on that less than three hours out from the start of free agency.
Kuminga is the big domino to fall as a restricted free agent at the Warriors over the coming days, but as a result any significant wait on a resolution could drastically impact other moves the franchise can make.
Warriors are headed for a free agency disaster
Golden State won't know exactly how much they have to spend on prospective free agents until a Kuminga deal takes place, and even what positions they really need to target given a sign-and-trade could still be considered likely with the young forward.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic provided the latest in regard to Kuminga on Monday, suggesting there's still a lot to play out once free agency gets underway.
"Despite a few conversations between the two sides, the Golden State Warriors have generated no real traction toward a deal with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga in recent days and, as anticipated, he is expected to explore the market when it opens at 3 p.m. PT on Monday afternoon," Slater reported.
The longer the Kuminga situation goes, the longer the franchise is potentially held hostage by it. The uncertainty could inhibit the Warriors ability to make other moves, including the potential signing of Al Horford who's been strongly linked to a move away from Boston and to their conquerors in the 2022 NBA Finals.
The potential acquisition of Horford might be less impacted because Golden State need a veteran stretch big with or without Kuminga, but the 22-year-old's departure would certainly require the franchise to address a lack of athleticism and depth at the forward positions.
If the Kuminga scenario takes a week to play out, then the best free agents will have already been taken off the market and the Warriors will be left with the scraps. It's why this is such a precarious position because at the same time, Golden State can't afford to rush into a Kuminga contract that pays him overs, or not properly evaluate what they could get back in a sign-and-trade.
The Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans are all suitors for Kuminga according to The Stein Line, giving the Warriors some strong potential options to target in a sign-and-trade.
Yet there's a needle they have to thread in making the right Kuminga deal, while also not entering a disastrous situation where their ability to land free agents becomes incredibly compromised.