After acquiring six-time All-Star forward Jimmy Butler midway through 2024/25, the Warriors’ offseason will be focused on building out their roster with an eye towards a deeper playoff run next spring.
In a story previewing the team’s summer, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) notes that Golden State possesses the draft picks and movable contracts needed to make some key personnel improvements.
According to Gozlan, restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga‘s next deal could prove crucial to helping the club level up. Gozlan considers a sign-and-trade with another team to be the best path for the Warriors to maximize value for the 22-year-old and for Kuminga to get the bigger role he seems to be seeking. The Warriors also have other, more veteran free agents for whom they could extract value in sign-and-trade deals.
Golden State has just nine players under contract heading into the summer and are $17.4MM below the projected luxury tax line.
There’s more out of California:
- With the Buss family set to sell their majority stake in the Lakers after 46 years, Jim Alexander of The Orange County Register looks back on the transformative impact late patriarch Dr. Jerry Buss’ ownership had on the league at large. Beyond drafting superstars Magic Johnson and James Worthy early in his tenure, Buss helped eventize the league, making the games more than just basketball and helping elevate the NBA’s profile around the world.
- Now-Pacers All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton‘s big showing in the ongoing Finals highlights a glaring point guard deficiency for the team who drafted him in 2020, observes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. After trading Haliburton in 2022, the Kings went on to move De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio this past season as part of a three-team deal that netted them swingman Zach LaVine. New general manager Scott Perry now must work to find the club’s new lead ball-handler of the future, Anderson writes, noting that players like Ja Morant, Trae Young, Darius Garland, and Jrue Holiday have been floated as potential trade fits.
- The Kings haven’t yet engaged in trade conversations about veteran wings Malik Monk or DeMar DeRozan, but Anderson tweets that talks could kick up with Kevin Durant‘s trade fate now resolved.
Warriors will be signing a lot of minimum wage players this off season. If payton or Looney wants to return it will be for a big cut in pay. Might be best to trade Kuminga for draft picks and young low pay players.
Monk and an expiring for drue?
The guys name is in the article and you still get it wrong?
Not sure who these veterans are the Warriors get a good return for. Payton, Looney, Hield….not getting much for them. It’s trade Kuminga or run it back and try fill out the roster with small deals. It’s a no brainer really.
Are we really giving Dr Buss credit for drafting Magic. The media might try sweeping things under the rug but people don’t forget the truth. Wonder how Utah feel about Magic going no.1.
Sign and trade with phoenix to swap Kuminga and Jalen Green?
Why does GSW need an undersized guard? They need bigs.
So from what I’ve heard… suppose they S&T Kuminga.. like if it’s a 30M deal they can only get 15M back in the deal?
Not sure on the exact numbers what yeah something like that. Plus it hard caps them.
Swap out Looney (FA) for Lopez (FA)
Swap out Payton II (FA) for Melton (FA)
Sign Kuminga and keep him
Should be a title contender even with these minimal moves.
I don’t see any contender wanting DeRozan.
It will be a trash for trash trade.