The Golden State Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga remain in a standoff as the offseason comes to a close. One potential solution that is being discussed is a sign-and-trade where Kuminga joins the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Malik Monk. Unfortunately for both sides, it's essentially a non-starter from the jump.
The reporting around the Kuminga saga has been prolific all summer long, and especially in recent days as he remains the highest-profile player who remains unsigned. When you add in the fact that another five players are all waiting to sign with Golden State and need the Kuminga situation to resolve, you get one of the more interesting restricted free agent negotiations in recent memory.
There are multiple options ahead of Kuminga and the Warriors, and they exist in a somewhat narrow band. The Warriors cannot offer Kuminga more than about $22.5 million in the first season and still add Al Horford on the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception; start Kuminga's salary higher and the Warriors would float above the second apron. The Warriors are offering multiple contracts in that range, including a "2-1" construction of two years with a team option in the second year, and a "3-1" with a team option in the third.
The minimum Kuminga would take is the $7.9 million qualifying offer, which would give him maximum control but with significantly less money. His camp would love a longer-term deal without the team control; the Warriors want to preserve future flexibility. As the October 1st deadline for Kuminga to take the qualifying offer approaches, it's still unclear which path the two sides will take.
There is a third option on the table as well: a sign and trade. The Sacramento Kings, among other teams, have been interested in adding Kuminga all summer. The Athletic's Sam Amick reported this week that talks between the two teams have picked back up after dying in August.
The offer on the table? Shooting guard Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick in exchange for Kuminga, signed to a three-year, $63 million contract.
Unfortunately for both sides, that trade is likely dead-on-arrival.
The Warriors cannot accept that trade
On its surface, the offer from the Kings seems reasonable. Malik Monk is a solid scoring guard on a reasonable contract and the first-round pick is a lot more than the Warriors are getting if Kuminga walks next summer.
Look below the surface, however, and this deal does not work for the Warriors in any way. First, Monk himself is not the kind of player this roster needs. He is a 6'3" shooting guard who doesn't make much of a defensive impact in any way. The Warriors would be painting a massive target on their backcourt if they played Monk and Stephen Curry together. Monk can score efficiently and has improved as a passer, but he needs a very specific defensive exosystem to thrive in -- and like Curry, needs to be paired with a strong backcourt defender.
Now add in the fact that the one place where the Warriors are deep is at shooting guard. They have Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and Moses Moody, with De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II and Seth Curry all lined up to sign with the team. Trading an athletic forward for a veteran, undersized 2-guard is going the wrong direction with what this roster needs.
It is true that the Warriors need some on-ball scoring punch, but they need it in a package that doesn't take away an equal amount from their defense. What's more, Monk's style is not an ideal fit for the Warriors' motion offense, and many players have come to the Warriors with starry-eyed expectations only to struggle to fit into Steve Kerr's system.
Now we come to the money part of the equation. Monk makes $18.8 million this season, and because of the first apron rules and the Warriors' financial situation, they would need to trade a mid-tier contract in order to add Monk. Re-signing Kuminga and adding Al Horford requires staying under the second tax apron. Making a sign-and-trade would hard cap them at the first apron, about $10 million below the second apron. And that means trading away salary.
That likely means either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody has to go. Both are key members of the projected rotation, with Moody providing some of the only two-way play on the roster and Hield on a value contract as a knockdown shooter. Trading either would be painful.
Add in that Monk is under contract for another three seasons, which restricts the Warriors' future financial flexibility, and you get a deal that is asking a lot of the Warriors. They need to trade a good player, take on Monk's long-term salary, give up on Kuminga, hard cap themselves at a lower amount, all for a player who may not actually be a good fit on the Warriors. And in return, they get a protected first-round pick.
Amick has reported that the Warriors are negotiating to have less protection on the first-round pick. Perhaps something close to an unprotected future Kings pick has enough value to make everything else worth it. Likely not. This deal has too many hurdles, and only a false sense of panic as the deadline nears would push this over the finish line.
The Warriors cannot make this trade. They still might anyway.