After going down to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second-round of the playoffs, the Golden State Warriors should be trying to bridge the gap between themselves and their Western Conference rival heading into next season.
Instead, the Warriors could be about to gift the Timberwolves a major roster upgrade rather than take a notable free agent for themselves once Jonathan Kuminga's future is resolved.
The Warriors could gift Malcolm Brogdon to the Timberwolves
Golden State have been linked to veteran Malcolm Brogdon in free agency, with the former Sixth Man of the Year seemingly waiting to see if a roster spot opens up in the Bay once the Kuminga situation plays out.
However, it's not a fait accompli that the Warriors actually sign Brogdon despite their obvious need for another proven point guard to provide support for 2x MVP Stephen Curry.
"We won't know if the Warriors emerge with more serious interest in Brogdon until the state of their roster and luxury tax bill becomes clear in the wake of a resolution to Kuminga's fate," NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote on The Stein Line last week.
Bypassing Brogdon could set up the red carpet for the Timberwolves to swoop in, with Fischer listing Minnesota and also the New York Knicks as other teams who've been linked to the 32-year-old in free agency.
In predicting the landing spots for the top 10 remaining free agents in an article at the start of the month, Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus had Brogdon going to Minnesota instead of Golden State or New York.
Acquiring Brogdon would help the Timberwolves fill what appears like a big need at the point guard position right now as they seek to take the next step following two-straight Western Conference Finals appearances.
The franchise traded up to land Rob Dillingham with the eighth overall pick in last year's draft, but the 20-year-old still looks a while away from being a reliable contributor in the playoffs. On the other end of the spectrum, 37-year-old Mike Conley is starting to decline and questions remain on how much longer he can be a starter next to Anthony Edwards in the back court.
Given how much he already leads the offense, perhaps there's a natural progression to Edwards becoming the team's starting point guard. Yet if the Timberwolves still want another lead ball-handler and playmaker in the back court, then signing Brogdon this summer may fill an important gap between the inexperienced Dillingham and the dwindling Conley.
The Warriors could play a major role in that if they prioritize other options over Brogdon, something that would already seem like a mistake before even considering the potential impact he could have at a direct conference rival.