As the Golden State Warriors have trudged through their offseason, their stand-off with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has prevented them from finalizing their negotiations with a number of free agents, restricting them from improving their roster in one of their most important seasons in years.
Now, a guard who they have been closely tied to all offseason, Malcolm Brogdon, has signed a one-year deal with the New York Knicks as reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, and the Warriors have missed out on a golden opportunity to elevate their bench unit to one of the best in the league.
All offseason, Golden State has been tied to a number of veteran guards, and, among this group, Brogdon's reliable ball-handling and floor general abilities would have made him the premier addition. However, the Warriors must now turn to whoever is remaining on the market to fill out their roster.
Malcolm Brogdon would have been the perfect addition for the Warriors this offseason
As Kuminga entered free agency, everyone across the league knew that negotiations would be contentious given the state of his relationship with the team's coaching staff and front office.
Yet, the two parties have come to an impasse at a relatively unexpected spot: whether a potential two-year deal will include a player or a team option after the first year.
Kuminga has been staunch in his stance that he does not want to be viewed merely as a trade piece, and, as he has no incentive to sign any deal until the October 1 deadline for accepting his qualifying offer approaches, the Warriors have been held in a chokehold by the financial uncertainty that his negotiations have brought on.
Still, they have been tied to a number of veteran guards, including Brogdon, De'Anthony Melton, Seth Curry and even Ben Simmons, as a result of their evident desire to shore up their backcourt behind Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield.
Although he has dealt with health issues over the past two seasons, Brogdon is still a highly capable playmaker and presents an excellent sixth-man option for the Knicks, who needed to fill that role desperately. In his last full season, Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics, averaging 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
While it remains to be seen how much he has left in the tank, Brogdon could have provided a surer presence to a Golden State backcourt that projects to be a fast-paced, high turnover unit. Now, as a result of their inability to find a resolution with Kuminga earlier, the Warriors must feel the effects of a slowly closing free agent market.