The Golden State Warriors waited until the eve of training camp, but they finally got business done, or at least made some movement. Their rumored target, Al Horford, is signing a multi-year deal, while Gary Payton II and De’Anthony Melton will also return, per ESPN. The seemingly endless Jonathan Kuminga standoff had the entire Golden State front office paralyzed. But reportedly, the 14-year duo of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green had to intervene for the front office to start rolling.

Swipa, a Denver Nuggets analyst, got the scoop. “Apparently, Draymond and Steph are meeting with the ownership and with the front office here soon,” he said on Locked on NBA. “And because they’re just, I think, bewildered, as the rest of the public is, on why exactly, number one, this situation is taking so long, but also number two, are we all on the same page here?

“Like, do we all understand what’s at stake? Do we understand that we’re in a situation now where we’re gonna have to figure out who our team is. Like, who’s gonna be our rotational players? Who’s gonna be our playoff rotation? Who’s our lineup? We don’t know.”

The growing concerns weren’t just limited to the players; the Dub Nation felt them too. Jonathan Kuminga’s drawn-out contract talks and the Warriors’ tight finances continued to halt the team from taking any step with other players. For instance, Horford was reportedly signing with the team back in August. However, the deal couldn’t get finalized.

The team remained with only nine players a week before the training camp on September 29. These included Curry, Butler, Green, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Gui Santos, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Quinten Post. They also had a two-way contract with Jackson Rowe. The team also reached out to Seth Curry for a possible deal.

With the October 1 deadline to sign Kuminga, the Warriors were running out of time. Recognizing the urgency, the Warriors finally moved to shore up their roster to at least get commitments.

Update on the Jonathan Kuminga contract: A day after the first training for the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga has agreed to a 2-year, $48.5 million deal, according to ESPN. The deal also includes a team option on the second season.

Now, Stephen Curry and Green have an idea of what they will be working with. Horford, in particular, would be a major addition. A champion with the Celtics, the veteran has evolved his game to expand beyond the arc. Pairing up with Curry, Green, and Jimmy Butler at the center after long-time veteran Kevon Looney signed with New Orleans, he could improve the team’s chances for another title within the two years of the two veterans’ pending contract years.

They also have returning players in Payton and Melton. The latter appeared in six games before a season-ending torn ACL- but Melton amplified the Warriors’ system, especially in minutes besides Stephen Curry. If he is fully healthy, he could find himself partnering with Curry as part of the starting backcourt.

On the other hand, Payton played in 62 games for the Warriors last season with 11 starts. In that span, he averaged 6.5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 57.4% from the field and 32.6% from deep. His defensive versatility was also a core part of his role with the franchise.

To have three veterans that fit Steve Kerr’s profile is a big addition for the Warriors. However, does this mean they have given up on Jonathan Kuminga?

Jonathan Kuminga and the Warriors remain at odds

The Warriors’ stalemate with Kuminga has almost reached its apex. The forward is days away from the deadline to sign a qualifying offer. Additionally, since negotiations are still ongoing, JK won’t even appear on media day as a Warriors player. So, with the recent updates, did the Warriors make a statement that they are ready to move on from Kuminga months after trying to reach a common point?

The front office might indeed be weighing its options. They could have been waiting to finalize their free-agent signings before dealing with the Kuminga situation, or simply waiting until training camp to better understand their financial flexibility. According to Spotrac, Golden State is a little more than $25 million away from the first apron of the luxury tax and nearly $36.9 million away from the second apron. Re-signing Kuminga, on top of getting Horford, would almost certainly make the Warriors a tax apron team. Either way, there’s little evidence that the negotiations are making significant progress.

Despite the uncertainty, they all want Jonathan Kuminga to continue with the team. ESPN’s Anthony Slater previously wrote, “His star teammates Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have reached out, checking on Kuminga, his plans and his mindset”.

Stephen Curry, meanwhile, respects the fact that Jonathan Kuminga is still determining his contract status for the upcoming season and is taking his time. “You have a guy who is trying to figure out his situation, and we respect that process,” Curry told reporters Monday. “It’s going to play out. When he’s here ready to work, we expect him to be locked in on doing what he needs to do to help us win.”

And well, let’s not forget that resolving Kuminga’s contract issue matters more for the Warriors than just roster certainty. Despite Al Horford giving a verbal commitment to the team, his official signing will not be completed until Jonathan Kuminga makes up his mind. Even then, it may or may not be confirmed since the Warriors will also need to check their finances. How do you think this Warriors saga will wrap up?