The NBA offseason is a minefield that presents both fused bombs and blasts. Some huge trades have already hit the market. The newly traded Bradley Beal is a part of the big three in the Suns, while Kristaps Porzingis was traded to Celtics, shipping away Marcus Smart. But, there’s another team grabbing most of the attention. It’s Stephen Curry-led Golden State Warriors, and why not!
They’ve won more championships than any other team after the 2010s.
So definitely, a lot of players from the team are in the rumor mill. And what huge decision is the Franchise leaning to? Let’s talk about that.
Stephen Curry’s squad can keep Kuminga
Draymond Green declined his player option for the 2023-24 and after featuring in eleven seasons for the Warriors, he wants a bigger payday. If he swings elsewhere, it opens up the Forward position unless the Dubs sign up a marquee-free agent. This opens up minutes for Jonathan Kuminga, who will enter his third season in the league. While his defense isn’t as effective as Green, he can emerge as a high-quality two-way player soon. He averaged 9.9 points per game last season, shooting 52.5%.
However, the young Forward saw a huge reduction in minutes when the Playoffs arrived and coach Kerr preferred experience. Although he fell out of rotation, reports show that the restructuring franchise plans to keep Kuminga and include him in the primary rotation. If that’s the case, the Forward can end up receiving a sub-30 minutes role if the team decides not to pursue an established Forward and if the young player lives up to their expectations.
One notable aspect of Green declining the option is that it doesn’t mean that the Warriors are going to part ways with him. Green had a contract that was worth $27.5 million per year. The Defensive phenom must be looking for a deal that is north of $30 million per year. His ability to shut down marquee offensive players has a huge demand. So, a lot will depend upon how the Warriors pursue the whole scenario after Green’s decision.
The Warriors are retooling
This offseason is huge for the squad. Despite winning the title in 2022, they collapsed against the Lakers in Conference Semis and had a disastrous Regular Season. Their defense looked awful and their bench underperformed, especially Jordan Poole.
Poole had an abysmal Playoff, and the squad will have to decide about him too. The departure of genius GM Bob Myers was an enormous shock and now fresh GM Mike Dunleavy Jr will have to work some magic.
