Former All-Star weighs in on Warriors' championship credentials

Steve Kerr has all the key pieces of a contending roster at his disposal. Stephen Curry is still a superstar scorer. Jimmy Butler, when at his best, is among the best two-way forwards in the NBA. And Draymond Green's defensive IQ is arguably the best in the league next to LeBron James.

The hard part will be slotting the right pieces around that veteran trio. Kerr will need a mixture of veteran know-how and youthful athleticism in order to get his team back on top.

Golden State Warriors are expected to add multiple new faces

Once the Warriors finally reach a conclusion in their standoff with Kuminga, the franchise is expected to sign multiple players to a contract. Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II are all expected to sign, or re-sign, with the franchise. 

However, Dunleavy may need to find an additional player or two to round out Golden State's roster. Nevertheless, there appears to be a clear plan in place; it's just been on pause due to Kuminga's contractual situation.

Jonathan Kuminga is expected to sign the qualifying offer

After months of negotiations, it's now looking increasingly likely that Kuminga will sign his qualifying offer with the Warriors. In doing so, the explosive forward will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Therefore, he would be taking control of his own future. 

"He entered September facing two options," Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area wrote. "One, accept Golden State’s qualifying offer of $7.99 million. Two, sign a two-year contract at $45 million, with a team option in Year 2. He has shown no interest in that. Kuminga has shown more interest in the qualifying offer."

As an impending free agent, Kuminga could use his status as a potential no-trade clause. He could refuse to re-sign with certain teams, making the notion of trading for him undesirable. 

While Kuminga signing his qualifying offer would be a "worst-case scenario" for the Warriors, they will likely welcome a resolution to the current standoff. After all, the new season is fast approaching, and attention must turn toward preparing for that. At least this way, the franchise would have clarity. And, more importantly, it could begin adding some fresh talent ahead of training camp.