PHOENIX — A feeling of relief radiated throughout the Golden State Warriors organization late Wednesday night with the news of Jonathan Kuminga’s trade to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis. Kuminga is still liked by several people within the organization that selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, but many had been waiting for this night for weeks, nobody more so than Kuminga himself.
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The tenuous relationship between Kuminga and coach Steve Kerr — and Kuminga and the front office — has been well documented throughout the season and finally came to a head early last month when Kuminga elected not to play in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in which the Warriors were resting Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler. Kuminga was a late scratch because of what the team termed at the time was lower back soreness and the writing, which had already been on the wall for weeks, became brighter than ever. The breakup was going to happen. It was a matter of when, not if.
The moment finally came on Wednesday night. The 23-year-old Kuminga will get a fresh opportunity to showcase his skills for a new team, and the Warriors are finally free of the distractions caused by Kuminga’s continued presence on the roster. In the short-term, the rest of the Warriors’ season seems hazy at best. A year that started with championship aspirations was altered completely when Butler tore the ACL in his right knee on Jan. 19. Now, at best, the Warriors appear to be on a path toward a Play-In game or two, and maybe a postseason run if Curry can get hot enough to carry them through a few games.
But the Kuminga deal prompted another feeling behind the scenes: Hope. Some observers wrote off the Warriors’ possible chase of Giannis Antetokounmpo as soon as news broke of the Kuminga deal, which included Buddy Hield and his cap slot, team sources were quick not to completely close the door on the pursuit. The hope is that they can still find a way to make a Antetokounmpo deal happen down the line.
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As my colleague Sam Amick reported, there has been “an extended lack of communication from the Milwaukee side in recent days that left the Warriors, and some other teams, skeptical that Antetokounmpo would actually be on the move.” That feeling remained late Wednesday night, with the prevailing sentiment among the Warriors’ front office that it doesn’t feel as if Milwaukee is really ready to move the player around whom they’ve built their entire organization.
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The Warriors remain at least somewhat optimistic that if the Bucks don’t move Antetokounmpo by Thursday afternoon’s deadline, there will still be a chance to rekindle talks with the Bucks in the summer. The Athletic reported earlier this week that the Warriors have been telling Butler they will stick with him throughout his year long ACL rehab. Additionally, Green could once again be at the center of trade talks this summer if and when he decides to officially pick up his $28 million player option. Another key here, assuming that the Warriors don’t include Butler in any deals over the summer, is Green either picking up his option or opting out as part of a sign-and-trade. Porzingis could also agree to a sign-and-trade, but acquiring Antetokounmpo requires at least one big outgoing salary (likely Green or Porzingis, if not Butler) because Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and other Warriors would not be enough to make the money match.
The good news for Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy is that roster limits are much looser in the summer. He could add more money in the short-term in an attempt to make a deal happen. Separately, if the Warriors wait until after the draft in June, they could potentially include their 2026 pick and their 2027 first-round picks to give the Bucks more assets in the short term.
The time between now and the summer would also give Antetokounmpo more time to think about his decision and whether the Warriors provide the best option for his future. He would have the chance to play with Curry, who will turn 38 on March 14, and Butler, who turns 37 in September, when he returns.
The Warriors also have to hope that Antetokounmpo determines that pair — along with the spending power of owner Joe Lacob — provides his best path for success. They have long believed that the allure of playing with Curry, especially while he’s still producing at such a high level, would be tough for any star player to pass up.
At the moment, the Warriors’ outlook is cloudy. Curry is dealing with a knee issue, Butler is out and Green is well aware that his name has been discussed in trade talks. But the Warriors’ front office went to sleep Wednesday night feeling some comfort in knowing that the Kuminga drama that’s engulfed the organization is finally over, as well as the continued hope of landing Antetokounmpo.
It’s a long shot — but it always has been for the Warriors. It’s one worth hoping for, until Antetokounmpo officially winds up somewhere else.
—The Athletic’s Danny Leroux contributed to this report.