The Warriors have plenty on their plate this NBA offseason, capitalized by franchise icon Klay Thompson's impending free agency.
But with the Oct. 23 deadline to sign 2020 NBA Draft class members to rookie-scale contract extensions looming, could Golden State lock down Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody for the foreseeable future any time soon? Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy would like to have the duo in the Bay long term, he recently told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, but it's all about timing.
“I think we want those guys here long-term," Dunleavy told Kawakami. "So having them extension-eligible certainly lends toward trying to make something work. I think going through everything we’re going through now with the draft and free agency, we will get to that. But that doesn’t mean those guys aren’t the priorities. There’s just some other stuff going right now.”
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With the 2024 NBA Draft having come and gone and Warriors trade target Paul George reportedly opting to become a free agent on Saturday, things now are a bit more clear for Golden State -- and, perhaps, more murky in some ways. Thompson reportedly is on his way out of the Bay, and the Warriors desperately need to make a splash should they need to replace him.
Could Kuminga or Moody be on the table in a trade? Dunleavy previously hasn't ruled it out.
“It would have to be something that we felt would unequivocally change the trajectory of our franchise,” Dunleavy told reporters during his pre-draft presser when asked is any members of the Warriors' young core -- Kuminga, Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski -- could be dealt in a trade.
Kuminga enjoyed a breakout campaign during the 2023-24 NBA season, solidifying himself as a key piece in coach Steve Kerr's rotation, while Moody certainly showed enough to earn an opportunity for a larger role himself. And with the Warriors' top trade target in George no longer a possibility, there don't seem to be any franchise-altering talents left who could warrant such a package.
Golden State Warriors
But there's a lot of offseason left, Dunleavy and Co. certainly want to have a grasp of what their cap situation looks like before doling out any contract extensions. And, as Warriors fans know very well, no trade ever is completely off the table.
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