Warriors exec gets brutally honest on uncertain Jonathan Kuminga situation: "Not going to compromise our roster-building ability" 

The Golden State Warriors are in a pickle amid Jonathan Kuminga's restricted free agency. They are reportedly exploring sign-and-trades and bracing for him to return next season. However, Kuminga's camp's demand for $30 million annual contract is making things tricky.

The uncertainty surrounding him has brought things to a standstill for the Warriors, who are the only team yet to make a significant move this offseason. They are rumored to have deals lined up for Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton, but those can only go through if they get more clarity on Kuminga's future.

A Warriors executive spoke to Spotrac's Keith Smith on Tuesday, saying Golden State still "loves" the former lottery pick, but also wants to prioritize improving the roster.

"We’re trying to be responsible," the executive said. "With the aprons and hard caps and all of that, you can’t just throw money around. We still love Jonathan.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"We’re hopeful we can figure out a way to strike a balance that works for him and for us. But we’re not going to compromise our roster-building ability now, or in the future. We have to be responsible in the way we build our team."

The Warriors have a steep asking price in a potential sign-and-trade. Most interested teams have moved on and pursued other signings, which makes things tricky for all parties involved.

For now, Jonathan Kuminga returning to Golden State remains the best-case scenario. It remains to be seen if he agrees to lower his asking price or the Warriors give in to his demands as time runs out.

---

Bulls are potential trade partners for Warriors in Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade

The Chicago Bulls have been widely mentioned as a potential trade partner for the Golden State Warriors in a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade. However, multiple stumbling blocks exist for a deal to materialize. The Bulls have to decide on Josh Giddey's restricted free agency and won't include Coby White in a trade. Here's what insider Brett Siegel reported:

"The Warriors are still holding out belief that they can get a sign-and-trade done with the Bulls. Then again, Chicago has its own problems to figure out with Giddey. Before they can think about pursuing Kuminga, the Bulls will need to come to terms on a new deal with Giddey first, since they are hard-capped at the first apron. "It has been made clear that Chicago doesn't hold interest in trading Coby White, and it's unlikely Golden State would pursue veteran center Nikola Vucevic in a sign-and-trade for Kuminga, sources said."

Jonathan Kuminga has no interest in returning to the Warriors, and that's well known around the league. That could also lead to lower returns in a trade, putting the Warriors in a crunch as August approaches. With Chicago the only likely suitor, it will be interesting to see if Kuminga and Golden State reunite until the February trade deadline and find a new suitor instead.

Edited by Arhaan Raje