Even Barack Obama wondered about the Warriors' trades last season

Barack Obama was a two-term President of the United States with a wide range of interests and responsibilities. Yet when he saw Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr last summer, he wanted to ask about the team's roster moves.

Kerr and the former president were at a dinner party in Aspen, Colorado, and Obama sought out Kerr immediately upon arrival with an urgent question: "What's gonna happen with Kuminga?"

Jonathan Kuminga's status haunted the Warriors' season

That even a former president was wondering what the Warriors would do with their young forward shows just how big the team's Jonathan Kuminga issue had become. The No. 7 pick was the centerpiece of the team's infamous "two timelines" approach, in which the team tried to use its 2020 and 2021 high draft picks to restock the roster with young players alongside veteran stars like Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

The team managed to win a surprise championship in 2022, then doubled down the next season, adding three more rookies while letting many veterans leave. But Kuminga never quite fit, despite his athleticism and huge potential. Yet the Warriors kept him in limbo, neither committing to him long-term nor trading him.

Obama could probably relate to Kerr. He knows what it's like to face constant press inquiries and discussions about trade agreements, as well as the second-guessing of the public. The Kuminga situation may have contributed to Kerr's burnout and desire to retire, before changing his mind at season's end.

Steve Kerr has more clarity on the team's future

When Kerr signed a two-year deal to return to the Warriors, he and the team seemed to have committed to a "one timeline" plan. Kerr told ESPN he sees the team as a "fading dynasty," but added, "There is beauty in the struggle, fans enjoying us trying to fight until the last breath."

That seems in direct contrast to "two timelines," especially after the team finally traded Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks in February. Now the Warriors have committed to being as competitive as possible for the next two seasons, the length of Kerr's new deal, which could coincide with Curry's retirement as well.

People chanted "Four more years!" when Obama was running for re-election in 2012. Kerr and Curry might only have the length of a Congressional term left together, but it appears they've decided to make it count.