A teammate of a Golden State Warriors’ trade target has dropped a cryptic hint on his future on Instagram.
The Golden State Warriors look for a way out of their contract saga with Jonathan Kuminga. They are looking for a team to trade with before he potentially walks out the door for nothing next summer.
They have rejected an offer from the Sacramento Kings, as the Warriors refuse to trade Moses Moody and Buddy Hield. It looked like they were working towards a trade with another team, but this cryptic hint suggests that option is now off the table.
Josh Giddey’s teammate drops cryptic hint on his Chicago Bulls future on Instagram
Josh Giddey is in a contract negotiation with the Bulls. He’s trying to secure a $30 million a year deal with his team, but has struggled to come to an agreement in Chicago. That led the Warriors to believe they could arrange a sign-and-trade for Giddey with Kuminga.
But Giddey’s teammate, Matas Buzelis, posted something to Instagram that suggests that the deal is off the table. He tagged Giddey with a pen and paper emoji. It seems that Giddey has re-signed with the Bulls.
That’s a blow for the Warriors. Giddey was high on the list of trade targets and is one of the best available free agents this summer. Giddey was on the Warriors’ draft board in 2021, but instead, he was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the NBA title last season.
Giddey averaged 7.2 assists per game last season, and dished 11 against the LA Lakers in March before hitting a game-winner. He would have been an ideal fit to run the Warriors’ second unit.
If Giddey re-signs, it’s bad news for Golden State.
Jonathan Kuminga can stop any chance of the Golden State Warriors trading him
If they aren’t able to trade Kuminga for Giddey, the Warriors could be in an impossible situation in this Kuminga mess. An anonymous NBA executive explained to The Athletic how Kuminga has the power to ruin their plans and walk away for nothing next summer.
They said, “If he takes the qualifying offer, the Warriors are f—d from a team-building standpoint, because they need to get him on a deal where they can trade him.”
Kuminga can opt into a qualifying offer of $7.9 million, allowing him to play one more season with the Warriors before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
A $7.9 million contract would stop the Warriors from getting a significant return, as they would need to match the salary of whoever they trade for with Kuminga.
Kuminga is not happy with Golden State, and does not owe them a favour in this regard. He was hardly played down the stretch of last season, and only received significant playing time when Steph Curry was injured in the playoffs.
He was a promising young talent in Golden State, according to Draymond Green.
The qualifying offer would be a bet on himself. Kuminga would have one season to prove he is worth more than the $45 million contract the Warriors have offered him. If he hardly plays again or suffers an injury, it could negatively impact his value.
It’s a risk, but it appears that we’re headed down that road.