Rounding up all the Warriors and NBA news from around the web.
Good Morning Dub Nation,
From the uncertainty surrounding general manager Bob Myers to the drama between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole, the Golden State Warriors will need to address a long list of problems that will greatly impact the future direction of the team. Among them is the status of second year player Jonathan Kuminga who reportedly has a “strong level” of trade interest around the league according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe.
Executives here are also buzzing about the future of the Golden State Warriors after the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them over the weekend. Judging from my conversations, there remains a strong level of interest in Jonathan Kuminga around the league.
This follows a report from The Athletic posted shortly after the Warriors were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday. The article states that Kuminga is seeking a full-time role next season, either with Golden State or on a different team.
There’s an acknowledgement from the Warriors’ decision makers that some amount of rotation retooling is needed this summer. That could put Kuminga’s future in question. It’s been difficult to fit him into lineup combinations with both Green and Kevon Looney – two non-shooters – and that frontcourt logjam ahead of him is expected to remain in place.
The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say. Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward, and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more.
The Warriors’ former seventh overall pick showed flashes of high potential during the regular season. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 37% from the three-point line. In addition to that, Kuminga’s defense and overall energy played a critical role in helping the team navigate through numerous absences which hampered the roster throughout the season.
Despite all this, the explosive power forward saw his playing time significantly decrease during the postseason. After averaging 20.8 minutes per game in 67 regular season games, Kuminga rarely saw the court in the postseason, playing a mere 6.1 minutes per game.
In a critical time where the organization is attempting to revamp the roster back to championship form, the reported strong level of interest in Kuminga makes his status with the Warriors an intriguing storyline to follow as the team progresses forward with their offseason plans.
Here are the rest of today’s stories:
In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:
- Report: Warriors and Bob Myers have little traction in contract talks
- Draymond Green blames the Warriors elimination on his preseason punch
- Steve Kerr addresses Draymond Green’s future with the team during exit interview
- Steve Kerr on the coaching layoffs: ‘Never seen the league like this’
- Reviewing the playoff shooting from Curry, Thompson and Poole
Other Warriors News:
- Warriors, Bob Myers currently far apart on contract extension: Sources (The Athletic)
- NBA rumors: Jonathan Kuminga drawing ‘strong level’ of trade interest (NBC Sports Bay Area)
- Warriors Rumors: Bob Myers Didn’t Attend NBA GM Meetings; Dunleavy Jr. Repped GSW (Bleacher Report)
- Warriors’ offseason of big changes should probably start with Klay Thompson (SF Gate)
- Lakers-Nuggets Game 1 reaction: Jokic beats LeBron & AD + series adjustments | Draymond Green Show (Draymond Green Show)
NBA News:
- Lowe: What happened inside the secret NBA lottery drawing room (ESPN)
- Butler torches Celtics for 35 as Heat steal Game 1 (NBA)
- NBA Sources: James Harden to Become Free Agent + Intel on CP3, Ty Lue and More (Bleacher Report)
- Which NBA head-coaching opening is the most attractive? (Yahoo Sports)
- Clippers GM Michael Winger interviews for Wizards basketball ops job: Source (The Athletic)