Jonathan Kuminga might stay with the "Golden State Warriors" after all, despite ongoing speculation about his future. Recent reports suggest the franchise is likely to find a way to retain the young forward as he enters restricted free agency.
"Warriors very likely will find a way to hang onto JK," - stated NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole.
However, keeping Kuminga won't come cheap. If the "Warriors" sign him to a significant contract, their financial flexibility will become severely limited for other offseason moves. This creates an interesting dilemma for the front office.
Moses Moody and Buddy Hield have emerged as potential trade candidates in this scenario. Both players have mid-tier contracts that could be valuable in trade packages - Moody starting a three-year, $37.5 million deal ($11.6 million next season) and Hield earning $9.6 million in the second year of his contract.
The Warriors desperately need a starting center. Let's face it - they've been running through a carousel of big men over the past couple seasons without finding stability at the position.
By combining these contracts with smaller deals and draft picks, Golden State could potentially acquire the offensively-skilled center they need to become legitimate contenders again.
There's a catch, though. Trading Hield and Moody would significantly impact the team's perimeter shooting. Hield is the team's second-best three-point shooter behind Stephen Curry, while Moody has developed into a valuable 3-and-D player.
Interestingly, any trade involving these players would require the Warriors to recoup similar shooting abilities through other means. This highlights the complex puzzle that Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office must solve this summer.
Can the Warriors balance their need for a versatile stretch five while maintaining enough shooting around Curry? That remains the critical question heading into what promises to be a pivotal offseason for the franchise.
