“That concludes the Warriors offseason moves. They have signed nobody yet,” Brian Windhorst said on his Spotify podcast. And that blunt line captures how the Kuminga standoff has turned Golden State into the league’s quietest team this summer. The Warriors have been dragged into a contract standoff that blocked early free agent work. Training camp prep is close, and the gridlock has already cost them target Malcolm Brogdon. He reportedly grew tired of waiting and signed a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, making it the latest setback in an offseason that has given the franchise plenty to be concerned about.

This inactivity has created a public perception that the front office has done nothing. However, a prominent NBA insider is now pushing back hard against that narrative, claiming the Warriors have their entire strategy mapped out and are simply waiting for the Kuminga domino to fall before executing it. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst on his Spotify podcast quoted- “They have probably three players that they’re for sure going to sign,” he said, claiming that the plan has already been shared with the core.

He also noted “Steph is not like- leaving the golf course to go take shots,” which signals the franchise has kept its captain in the loop and Curry’s camp reassured even if public patience is thin.

That podcast made the rumor official by naming the likely additions and showing what the front office intends if and when the Kuminga issue clears. Windhorst said “At some point, they’re going to sign Al Horford to the tax MLE, almost certainly. And then on minimums, Seth Curry happens to be a certain guy’s brother. DeAndre, De’Anthony Melton, who was there last year before he tore his ACL and got traded to Brooklyn. And then Gary Payton’s second, who has been with the Warriors for an extended period of time”. Those names explain why the Warriors have not snapped at every veteran offer this summer and why the core players appear calm.

The players Windhorst named each bring a clear role if they join. Al Horford offers spacing, experience and reliable center minutes after averaging nine points and six rebounds last season for Boston. Seth Curry would add catch and shoot scoring and the family storyline of Curry brothers teaming up finally becomes real if he signs. De’Anthony Melton is a two way guard healing from an ACL and he plugs defensive and perimeter shooting needs. Gary Payton the second brings hustle and continuity after prior Warriors stints. Together, these signings would change the roster picture quickly and give the Warriors the depth they need to actually look like a team capable of competing.

All of that remains chained to Kuminga’s choice and the financial math around it. The Warriors have reportedly upped their pitch to a three year, $75 million dollar package with a team option in year three. Kuminga’s camp has continued to push for a player option and more control. If Kuminga accepts the qualifying offer this autumn Golden State gains short term cap flexibility but risks losing him next summer without return. The way the club resolves that tradeoff will decide whether three of Horford, Seth Curry, Melton and Payton are actually signed, at least per Brian Windhorst.

Any Kuminga solution likely to lead to immediate acquisitions for the Warriors

The Kuminga logjam has a direct effect on Stephen Curry’s circle because the Warriors cannot finalize minimum deals until they know their tax picture. Reports say that these signings would hard cap Golden State at the second apron and leave roughly $22.5 Million as the most they could safely offer Kuminga in year one. That arithmetic is why Seth Curry and other veteran targets have been waiting rather than committing elsewhere.

If Kuminga signs the one year qualifying offer on October first the team could save significant tax space and move on quickly with veteran additions. But that route also hands Kuminga leverage and could leave the club with less trade value next summer. The franchise has seen this script before and some inside voices frame a qualifying offer as a potential organizational burn that forces a sign and trade or a clean split rather than a neat reunion.

The missed Brogdon pursuit sharpened the problem since Brogdon signed with the Knicks while Golden State stalled and fans voiced real frustration about losing target veterans. That missed chance amplified the personal side for Curry since family ties like a potential Seth Curry signing are emotionally visible to supporters and make the roster delay feel less abstract and more immediate in Curry’s world.

The situation has left these free agent targets like Seth Curry and Al Horford in a difficult position. Quietly asking for clarity while they wait for a guaranteed NBA job. Fortunately for Seth and the others, the October 1st deadline for Kuminga’s qualifying offer decision will force a resolution one way or another.

For now the picture is tidy in plan but messy in timing: the Warriors appear willing to add Horford Seth Curry De’Anthony Melton and perhaps Gary Payton the second once Kuminga’s chapter closes, and those moves would likely calm concern around Stephen Curry and his family. The only thing left is who blinks first in this high stakes negotiation and whether the team completes the deals before training camp demands everyone show up ready to work.