How Kevin Durant trade impacts Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga

While the offseason is off to a rousing start, the Warriors are keeping a close eye on every move.  General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. spoke about the club's mindset and noted that Jonathan Kuminga is their main priority this offseason.

“I’d like to figure something out sooner rather than later. We feel pretty comfortable with who JK is as a player, what he can do for our organization, and it’s a main priority going into free agency.” 

Clarity of the situation is key for the Warriors. It allows them to have a better understanding of how to improve their roster. The Durant trade makes Houston better, strengthening a foe, but it also takes a trade partner off the table.

If a 36-year-old scorer can fetch two starters, a first-round pick and five second-round picks, it begs the question of what the Warriors could get for their 22-year-old power forward. Make no mistake, the Warriors cannot afford to give up their most athletic young player on a team led by a 37-year-old and two 35-year-old players.

There's a scenario where Kuminga returns to the organization, but it would be contradictory to what he wants in the long term. Despite all the speculation surrounding Kuminga, he wants to show people what he can do on the floor. Anthony Slater of The Athletic caught up with Kuminga, and he did not mince words about his priorities.

“Things take time, but I feel like I’m at the point where that has to be my priority, to just be one of the guys a team relies on. Aiming to be an All-Star. Multiple times. Aiming to be great. Wherever I’m going to be at, it don’t matter if it’s the Warriors or if it’s anywhere else, it’s something I want. I want to see what I could do. I know I got it. So I want to really see. I’ve never got that chance.”

The organization and Kuminga seem to have different priorities when it comes to plans for the future. Kuminga wants to be a star, but the Warriors have their stars in Steph Curry, Butler and Draymond Green for the foreseeable future. They are at a crossroads, and a decision regarding Kuminga’s future with the organization is imminent.