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Nine years ago, the Warriors made perhaps the most absurd free agency signing in NBA history when they added Kevin Durant to their 73-9 squad.
Fast forward to 2025, and Golden State has stood pat two weeks into free agency and is the only team to have not made a single move so far.
Just two players are expected to be the ones to thrust the front office into action: Jonathan Kuminga and Al Horford.
The Celtics big man has been rumored all throughout free agency to join the Warriors, yet the progress on it actually happening has seemingly been stagnant.
“Golden State expected him to sign last week, he didn’t,” Marc Spears reported on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Monday.
Golden State seems like the favored landing spot for Horford, but the big man is still mulling.
“Lakers, Milwaukee, Atlanta I believe are also interested in the nearly 40-year-old guy who also has retirement on the table,” Spears continued. “He’s still considering retiring, he’s not in any hurry, he’s got a sixth kid coming on the way.”
Kuminga, a restricted free agent, is the other piece of the puzzle for the Warriors.
They extended him a $7.5 million qualifying offer but are hesitant to offer him anything expensive long-term with questions surrounding his team fit, as head coach Steve Kerr often seemed to struggle finding a place for the former No. 7 draft pick in his rotations.
The stalemate with the 22-year-old wing is reportedly what’s held up Golden State’s offseason.
“The Warriors have not made a move yet this offseason because a lot of what they’re going to do, or trying to do, hinges on [Kuminga’s] restricted free agency,” ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania said on Sirius XM radio. “Does he come back on a deal? Or are you signing and trading him?”
Warriors sharpshooter Buddy Hield revealed his stance on the Kuminga situation during Golden State’s Summer League game Sunday night.
“He’s a worker. We all know JK can play. We would love to have him back,” Hield told ESPN. “He’s a special talent … I hope that he stays [with the Warriors]. And I hope that we can go on this run together.”
Considering Golden State expected Horford to sign last week, perhaps the team is ready to make its first move regardless of Kuminga’s status.
Spears thinks there could be an unlikely hero that leads Horford to joining Stephen Curry and the Warriors — and in turn would finally end their free agency inactivity.
“You know who I think is gonna be in this decision? His 10-year-old son, Ian,” Spears said. “He just started traveling with Al on the road like two seasons ago. The kid loves basketball, I know he’s like, ‘Dad, Steph Curry.’ I can see Ian convincing his dad to keep playing.”
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