The Golden State Warriors remain the only team in the NBA to have made no offseason additions. Read that again. Hard to imagine, right? Zero additions, subtractions, coaching hires, or front office shakeups. Doesn’t it just make you scratch your head?
It seems the Warriors are solely focused on one thing: Jonathan Kuminga’s value.
Rather than offering the 22-year-old a contract extension, Golden State appears content to wait — seemingly unbothered by the idea that another team might swoop in with a more attractive offer. The stalemate between Kuminga’s asking price and the Warriors’ inability to execute a sign-and-trade hasn’t moved the needle, but there might finally be some rationale behind their passive approach.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the holdup is that Golden State doesn’t want to include either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody in a potential sign-and-trade involving Kuminga — two names that would likely need to be moved to complete a deal. For now, the Warriors plan to keep Kuminga heading into the 2025–26 season, with hopes of moving him at the midseason trade deadline.
So, case closed? Not exactly.
The Warriors have drawn a line in the sand with Jonathan Kuminga
The logic isn’t entirely sound. Holding onto Moody seems reasonable — he’s just 23 and still has room to grow into a steady sixth man or even a starter in a post-Steph Curry world. But Hield? That’s where things get confusing.
At 32, Buddy Hield is coming off a down year statistically in nearly every category — points, assists, field goal percentage, and three-point shooting. Yes, he had some big postseason moments, but his role could realistically be filled by a younger sharpshooter with more upside.
Can the same be said about Kuminga?
Steve Kerr has made it clear he doesn’t envision Kuminga in the starting lineup, especially not over Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green. But that shouldn't diminish his value. Despite battling injuries for a good portion of the season, Kuminga still averaged around 15.0 points on respectable shooting splits and established himself as a high-impact bench contributor.
For now, Kuminga seems trapped — his development potentially stunted by a franchise unwilling to let him spread his wings elsewhere. Unless another team is willing to take a smaller package centered around the young forward, a change of scenery might still be a ways off.