After a huge offseason misread, the Golden State Warriors will have a big decision to make leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline.
Getting off to a 4-1 start, playing two of those games without Steph Curry, it would be foolish to suggest that the Golden State Warriors haven't gotten off to a good start to the season. While the offseason move for Buddy Hield should be praised with how he's played to start the year, there's one summer decision that could end up giving the Warriors some real headaches over the next couple of months.
The one offseason decision to not extend Jonathan Kuminga before the NBA's rookie-scale extension deadline will likely put the team in an awkward position leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline. Kuminga has admittedly gotten off to a rough start to the season, seeing a dip in production and efficiency across the board. One of a few things could be at play here for Kuminga.
One, he could just not be a schematic fit for the Warriors. Two, the weight of trying to live up to a certain standard in an attempt to secure a huge offseason payday next summer has altered his play. Or, three, he's just off to a cold start to the year that will correct itself over time.
No matter what is at play here for Kuminga, none of it benefits the Warriors. And if the recent rumblings are true, Golden State will need to make a big decision on Kuminga's future soon. According to recent reports, the Warriors and Kuminga were not close in extension talks before the deadline. A few games into the season, Kuminga was relegated from his starting role. Now, there are rumblings that the Warriors are "more willing than ever" to trade Kuminga.
How will the Jonathan Kuminga situation impact the season?
No matter whether the Warriors end up trading Kuminga before the trade deadline or not, it's pretty clear that their future together is far from a certainty. And there are things that both the Warriors and Kuminga need to figure out before that is decided. I'd imagine the Warriors will want to see how the next few weeks of the season play out before they make any rash moves. However, there's no question that their entire season outlook has been complicated by Kuminga's situation.
The Warriors have a real headache on their hands with Kuminga. If the Warriors know that they won't be able to afford him in free agency next summer, a trade at some point this season would make sense. But even that possibility is on thin ice considering his slow start to the season. There aren't likely going to be many teams jumping at the opportunity to trade for a player who is about to hit restricted free agency and for one whose value is complicated.
Not to mention that the Warriors trading Kuminga would certainly hurt their overall team depth. Golden State may find themselves in a no-win situation with Kuminga at the moment. Circumstances can certainly change but it would be foolish to expect that at this point.