Getty Jordan Poole of the Golden State Warriors.
Ahead of what could be a pivotal offseason for the Golden State Warriors, new general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. addressed the media for the first time Monday. Dunleavy was officially named Bob Myers’ successor last week, after Myers stepped down from the position.
During his introductory press conference, Dunleavy addressed the futures of both Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, who have both been involved in trade rumors.
“We love having those guys here. Jordan, especially with his contract extension, we plan to have him here for 4 more years at least,” Dunleavy told reporters via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater. “… [Kuminga] has shown really good progression and growth. Unfortunately for him, the playing time hasn’t been there. So that’s on all of us to figure out how to get him in the game more. It’s on Jonathan’s shoulders to improve and make the adjustments to his game…Both those guys are really, really good young players we’re pleased with. They have great value around the league. Obviously a lot of rumors come up at this time of year, but we’re happy with those guys.”
Mike Dunleavy on Jordan Poole: “With his contract extension, we’re planning on having him here for four more years at least.”
Jonathan Kuminga Frustrated About Playing Time with Warriors
Like the Dubs’ GM mentioned, Kuminga’s lack of playing time has been an issue in recent months. To kick off the offseason there was a report that he’d force his way off the team if he wasn’t promised a bigger role.
“The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say,” Slater and Shams Charania wrote for The Athletic on May 12. “Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more.”
Bill Simmons Pitches That Warriors Swap Jordan Poole for Chris Paul
As for Poole, his disappointing playoff numbers were one of the biggest talking points throughout the spring. He averaged just 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. His efficiency was the most glaring issue, as he made just 34.1% of his attempts from the floor and 25.4% from deep.
His struggles lead many fans to call for the front office to trade him, especially with his four year, $120 million contract extension kicking in next year.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons discussed how the financial aspect of keeping Poole could be a turn off for the Warriors, on a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” He even tossed around the idea of Golden State trading Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul.
“If you’re Golden State, do you feel good about the Jordan Poole contract?” Simmons posed on the June 18 edition of his show. “You have Draymond [Green] you’ve gotta pay … I’ve got Klay Thompson for $40 million. There’s some ‘Kuminga is actually gonna be good this year’ buzz. [Steph] Curry’s contract goes up every year. Like, if I could turn Jordan Poole into a year of Chris Paul and figure out what that looks like … I think that would be really interesting, to watch a true point guard play with Steph.”