As the Golden State Warriors sought out potential sign-and-trade opportunities for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, none of the serious suitors that came forward were able to offer a significant enough package to entice the organization into parting with their most valuable young trade piece.
Yet, in their unwillingness to trade Kuminga to the Suns, Golden State may have left their rival organization in a disastrous position: bereft of young talent and without the necessary draft capital to replenish their stock.
In ESPN's recent win projections, Phoenix is slated to come in at 13th in the Western Conference, and, apart from their backcourt duo of Devin Booker and Jalen Green, the team could have a difficult time cobbling together a competitive rotation without someone of Kuminga's scoring ability.
The Warriors may have left the Suns with no options after rejecting Jonathan Kuminga trade
After much speculation, two teams came forward this offseason as serious trade potentialities for Kuminga: the Suns and the Sacramento Kings.
While the Kings came forward with offers involving Devin Carter, Dario Saric and even Malik Monk, their ultimate unwillingness to include an unprotected first-round pick in negotiations ultimately led to a dead end.
The Suns, meanwhile, showed a strong interest in Kuminga, offering him a four-year, $90 million contract extension were he to accept a sign-and-trade, but their lack of future draft capital made working out a deal impossible.
Phoenix, apart from potential swaps, owns the rights to just one of their first-round picks between now and 2032, and, apart from the developing Khaman Maluach and ascendant defender Ryan Dunn, have very little young talen to try to get their roster back on track.
For a team that moved on from both Kevin Durant and Bradlley Beal this offseason, at least a soft reset is in order, and the Suns will have a difficult time even forcing their way into the play-in in a staggeringly deep Western Conference.
Therefore, it is clear why a team like Phoenix was interested in Kuminga. For all his faults, he has the dynamic scoring ability and the energy to become a game-changer were he given the opportunity and the minutes, and the Suns felt as though they could harness that to give an extra jolt to their rotation.
While Golden State ultimately had no option but to end trade talks and attempt to bring Kuminga back on their terms, he may have represented Phoenix's final chance to add young talent to this current iteration of their roster.