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After missing out on a blockbuster trade for Lauri Markkanen, the Golden State Warriors are aiming to invest in Jonathan Kuminga. But the 21-year-old wants a max extension, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
He told cohost Dan Devine, that the Utah Jazz’s reported interest in Brandin Podziemski over Kuminga was tied to the forward’s looming extension.
“I think that is just as much of the extension numbers Jonathan Kuminga would like, than it is about anything that these two guys have done on the floor,” Fischer reported on the August 7 episode. “…The word around the league from various sources is that Kuminga and his representation are looking for a full max extension.”
According to RealGM, that deal is projected at five years and $224-million.
“For Golden State, Kuminga was their third best player last year, behind Draymond [Green] and Steph [Curry],” Fischer continued. “I think that’s pretty objective, and on both sides of the floor. He took massive, massive strides come the turn of the calendar, where he had a whole stretch of 20-point games in a row. They are trusting him more in that pinch-post spot, to give him opportunities to play make out of there. But there’s no way he’s proven to Golden State personnel that he’s worth that money now.”
Kuminga is coming off of his third NBA campaign, all with the Warriors. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 74 regular-season appearances with Golden State last year.
But if the Warriors don’t feel he’s worth $224 million, he represents a massive asset towards upgrading the roster.
Golden State Not Interested In Brandon Ingram, Zach LaVine
As long as Curry is playing like a top-5 talent in the NBA, Golden Sate will continue performing due diligence on available talent.
Warriors fans can cross Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine off the list of prospective additions, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Both have been widely discussed as available names on the NBA’s trade market as of August 9.
Ingram is coming off of his eighth campaign, and his fifth with the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game last year.
LaVine is coming off of a season-ending foot injury with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 25 appearances last year.
Golden State will hold out, armed with enough assets to make a roster altering move, and hope the right talent becomes available.
“The Warriors maintain control of all but one of their future first-round picks (a 2030 top-20 protected pick outgoing to Washington), plus a young quartet of Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, [Moses] Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, providing flexibility and ammunition to be an aggressive buyer all the way to February’s deadline,” Charania wrote.
Kuminga, Podziemski Primed For Larger Roles Next Season
After losing Klay Thompson to free agency, the Warriors will rely on Kuminga and Podziemski to supplant an absence of scoring.
Thompson averaged 17.9 points per game last season. Golden State countered by adding Buddy Hield to the guard rotation, but Podziemski is considered the favorite to fill the starting spot.
According to Cleaning the Glass, in 1280 possessions with Curry and Podziemski on the floor, and Thompson off, the Warriors outscored opponents by 14.5 points per 100 possessions.
Add Kuminga to that group, and that number rises to 14.6 points per 100 in 793 possessions.
Golden State will hope those results can prove consistent next season, if not develop even further. For the first time since Curry and Thompson were drafted, it’s the youth that will determine the Warriors’ championship shot.
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