The trade window is well underway, with teams looking to bolster their rosters in full swing. However, the only franchise that has yet to make a move, even after more than three weeks into the offseason, is the Golden State Warriors. But why? Although there are several reasons, the most notable one is the lack of a resolution with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Although the 22-year-old forward has been linked with several teams, the statement doesn’t seem to end anytime soon.

Kuminga has emerged as the biggest mystery of this offseason. The Dubs star who was supposed to be the bridge that would carry forward the team’s dynasty doesn’t even know his place on the roster anymore. However, that might be changing soon, with the Warriors’ front office finally revealing their plans for Kuminga. ESPN’s Anthony Slater recently revealed that despite Golden State trying to ship away Jonathan Kuminga a couple of times now, many think that he’s needed within the team.

Slater talked about how the 22-year-old forward might actually be a reliable asset for the Dubs, something that even a few people in the front office also agree with, but not Steve Kerr.

“But like, you know, you throttle up and throttle back during the regular season, they’re going to need scoring, they’re going to need athleticism, they’re going to need pop during an 82-game regular season. And I think lost in a lot of what’s going on right now with Kuminga is people are talking about how much I believe in a lot of people, including some of the Warriors front office, even some of the team believe he is needed at times.” He said on the ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective’ podcast.

The ESPN analyst’s suggestion does make a lot of sense. After all, the Warriors have a core of veteran players, and we all know that this increases their chances of missing a few games during the regular season. That’s why keeping Jonathan Kuminga makes a lot of sense. Because we’ve seen that whenever the Golden State loses one of their scorers, they struggle big time, and JK is surely their best scoring option if something happens to Stephen Curry or Jimmy Butler.

You don’t have to just take our word or Anthony Slater’s word for it; his stats speak volumes. Last season, Kuminga averaged 15.3 points along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Although these numbers by themselves are pretty solid, they go up whenever he’s started games. When playing as a starter, he’s averaged 17.2 points along with 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. So, keeping him might actually be a good move for the Warriors. It’s true that his role within the team would be limited, but Kerr at least would have a reliable backup.

However, will Steve Kerr accept Kuminga? That’s something everyone will be interested in seeing. meanwhile, amid all of this chaos, the 22-year-old seems in no rush to decide on his future.

Jonathan Kuminga sends a clear message to the Warriors

Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the Golden State Warriors is anything but certain. On one hand, a few in the front office want the 22-year-old forward to stay. On the other, some also want him to be traded. Amid this stalemate, Kuminga is busy working out and honing his skills during the offseason. Recently, he was spotted working out on the court. However, what caught everyone’s attention is what the Dubs star had to say about his future in the NBA.

ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed that while speaking with Kuminga, he came to know what the forward feels about this whole situation. It’ll surprise you, but Jonathan Kuminga, according to Charania, is pretty chill about everything that’s happened so far in the offseason. “He did tell me that he is in absolutely no rush to do a deal with the Warriors right now, and he’s not accepting their current offers,” Charania said. “The Suns and Kings are two teams that have made concrete offers with the Dubs over the last week or so.”

The ESPN analyst revealed that Jonathan Kuminga seems in no rush whatsoever and is exploring all the options on the table. The options Kuminga was speaking of are from the Kings and the Suns. However, even those two offers are not something that the Dubs are willing to accept. It seems like the 22-year-old is finding it hard to find offer sheets from outside that would help him create some sort of leverage with the Warriors. Until that happens, his current team has no reason to give up their current qualifying offer.

This once again brings the entire saga back to where it started. Nonetheless, it seems like both parties have overplayed their hands and now can only wait for the other to blink, as everyone awaits the conclusion of this Jonathan Kuminga saga.