The final hours of the trade deadline have come and gone for the Golden State Warriors, with the franchise choosing not to make any more additional moves following their blockbuster acquisition of Jimmy Butler on Wednesday.
But while you could argue that the Warriors took a conservative approach in retaining the likes of veterans Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney, they've also taken a significant risk in holding onto their most talented young player.
Eyes will now focus on Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency
Jonathan Kuminga has remained with Golden State past the deadline, meaning the franchise will have a decision to make on the former seventh overall pick as an impending restricted free agent in the offseason.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst following the Butler trade, "Kuminga and his camp thought for a minute he was going to Phoenix" as part of a stunning trade that would have reunited the Warriors with 2x Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
Durant ultimately blocked that move, and Golden State were smart not to include Kuminga once they turned their eyes back to Butler. There are still different outcomes that could take place with the 22-year-old in the offseason, but they all include significant risk for the Warriors who have backed themselves into a corner somewhat.
Surely, after multiple offseasons and trade deadlines where they could have traded him, Golden State won't turn around and let Kuminga walk for nothing as a free agent. They could try and get some value back via a sign-and-trade, but the team losing the player usually never gets fair compensation in that scenario.
That leaves the Warriors a little under the mercy of rival teams and what sort of offer sheet Kuminga could get. Will the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets or Washington Wizards take a risk on the talented forward with a significant contract offer?
Golden State essentially have to match in any scenario -- losing him for nothing after four years of investment and development would be a disaster. At the same time, the front office has to be very careful in managing their books given they've just signed Butler to a two-year, $112 million extension.
The Butler extension was important so as not to risk him departing for nothing in the offseason, but it only adds further intrigue to the Kuminga situation and what Golden State's plans are moving forward.
The best case scenario for the franchise may be that the market isn't there for Kuminga like he and his camp believe, potentially allowing the Warriors to get a better deal where they don't have to pay upwards of $30 million per season.
These are all questions for the offseason though. For now, fans just want to see Kuminga back on the floor following a significant ankle injury in early January. There's certainly fascination on how he can mesh with the experienced trio of Butler, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and whether the Warriors can make any noise in the Western Conference over the remainder of the season.