Warriors GM addresses Jonathan Kuminga, draft, trade options, injuries

Meeting with reporters on Monday, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said Jonathan Kuminga will be “a main priority” heading into free agency, but he didn’t offer any hints on what the team plans to do, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle.

Kuminga will be a restricted free agent after not reaching an extension prior to the start of the season. The 22-year-old forward has shown flashes of stardom during his four NBA seasons, but he has also been frustrated by inconsistent playing time, which became more pronounced after Golden State traded for Jimmy Butler in February.

Dunleavy told reporters that he would like to “figure something out sooner than later” with Kuminga, whether that turns out to be a new contract or a sign-and-trade. The Bulls and Heat have been mentioned as teams that might be potential trading partners.

Kuminga will be free to negotiate with anybody once free agency begins next Monday, but Brooklyn is currently the only team with enough cap space to make a competitive offer. If Kuminga were to get an offer sheet, the Warriors would have the option to match it, and Dunleavy pointed out that restricted free agency “can drag out a little bit.”

He added that management is comfortable “with who JK is as a player and what he can do for our organization” and said the Warriors will try to give him a more defined role if he remains with the team.

“I think those conversations (about a role) will need to happen — especially the way this season kind of unfolded last year,” Dunleavy added. “There were some moments where he wasn’t playing as much, and then the role is bigger. He’s injured. All this up-and-down. … (His role) will probably be necessary to clarify.”

Dunlevy addressed a few other topics during the press conference:

• The Warriors hold the 41st pick in Wednesday’s draft, and Dunleavy indicated that he’s more likely to trade down than to try to move up into the first round, Gordon adds. Dunleavy will be hoping to repeat his late-draft success after finding Trayce Jackson-Davis with the 57th pick in 2023 and Quinten Post at No. 52 last year. “You’d be lucky to draft a guy in the second round who can make it at all,” Dunleavy said. “I think we have to be realistic about what it is. … We’re going to analyze this (draft), look at it and try to find the best player we can find that’ll contribute to this franchise.”
• Dunleavy plans to be “opportunistic” in the trade market and hopes to improve the depth in the middle of the roster. With Butler, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green combining to make $170.5MM next season, Dunleavy acknowledged that the team can’t add another big contract. “We’ll look at players that we really like. It’s just almost impossible for us to add players in the salary range of guys we were looking at last season since we’ve added Jimmy,” Dunleavy said. “That would be the only limiter. But in terms of finding talent and improving this team, we’re going to look under every rock to try to do that.”
• Dunleavy provided medical updates on Moses Moody (thumb surgery) and Brandin Podziemski (wrist and core muscle surgeries), saying they will “definitely be ready by training camp and even have a good portion of their summer for player development.”