The Warriors have been completely dragged down by Kuminga! If his issues remain unresolved, the Warriors will struggle to move forward!

In the classic skit "Not Lacking Money," there’s a memorable dialogue:

Zhao Benshan: “How about a gift?”

Xiao Shenyang: “Oh my god, why are you so stingy? You say you have nothing, and we still have to give something, right?”

After the free agency market opened, doesn’t the Warriors’ situation seem somewhat similar?

They have nothing, yet they’re giving something away.

After years of hard work and carrying the team, Looney (2 years, $16 million) has gone to the Pelicans, and there’s been no movement on their side.

From a roster perspective, I can understand Looney’s departure, since he and Green or Butler just don’t fit together in terms of court spacing.

It’s also normal for Kerr to use Poole instead of Looney.

What’s abnormal is that the Warriors still have no significant moves...

I saw a chart at the beginning of the month:

Why is this happening?

The core issue still lies with Kuminga’s “pull.”

If his problems remain unresolved, the Warriors will indeed find it hard to move forward.

I still remember that before last season started, when Kuminga was eligible for an early extension, the Warriors offered him a 5-year, $150 million extension, but Kuminga’s team rejected it, as he was looking for a contract close to the max.

That was then.

What’s the Warriors’ stance now?

They offered him a contract worth about $20 million per year, promising to trade him before the trade deadline in February next year.

$30 million? Don’t even think about it; once this opportunity is gone, there’s no turning back.

Kuminga’s camp hopes to secure a long-term deal similar to Jalen Johnson’s 5-year, $150 million extension with the Atlanta Hawks.

Moreover, he doesn’t want to stay with the Warriors and hopes to be a starter on a team that believes in his star potential, knowing that this is impossible with the Warriors.

Prior to that, the team extended a qualifying offer worth $7.9 million to Kuminga, making him a restricted free agent.

And it’s stuck there.

The deadlock essentially stems from a mismatch between salary expectations and market value, compounded by the Warriors' salary structure and the new labor agreement’s restrictions.

The Warriors currently have 9 guaranteed contract players with a total salary of $170.5 million, leaving only $37.3 million in space before the second luxury tax line ($207.8 million).

Curry ($59.6 million), Butler ($54.1 million), and Green ($25.8 million) together account for $139.5 million, which is 90% of the salary cap ($154.6 million) and 83% of the projected total salary (about $170 million).

This means there’s very little you can change.

The irreconcilable differences between superstar retirement contracts and rookie demands.

The Warriors are unwilling to gamble on a luxury tax nightmare for an unproven young player.

So, blaming Delive for this situation is unfounded; he’s here to clean up the mess. Offering Kuminga a contract above $20 million would complicate the Warriors’ future operations significantly.

From the moment they gave Jimmy a big contract, rational Warriors fans already anticipated the outcome...

If Kuminga accepts the qualifying offer, he could leave for nothing next year, and from the team’s perspective, that’s unacceptable.

Another major issue: there’s currently no market for Kuminga.

If he were really good, the Nets would have offered him a big contract long ago...

The Bulls are indeed interested, but they haven’t even sorted out their own issues; how will they resolve Giddey’s extension? So they don’t have time to negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Warriors...

What level is Kuminga at?

I don’t want to elaborate.

Players coming out of Ignite are generally physically capable, but they often struggle to understand the game.

If he really gets it, he wouldn’t have to wait until 2025.

I mentioned during the playoffs that Kuminga just can’t grasp the Warriors’ intricate passing and cutting system.

So from a future development perspective, leaving the team would definitely be the better choice.

So, what are the possible directions ahead?

1. Kuminga compromises

Signs a short 1-2 year deal, then gets traded early next year.

2. Kuminga accepts the $7.9 million qualifying offer

Becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

3. The Warriors lower their return demands

And renegotiate with teams like the Kings...

4. Offer Kuminga a big contract?

That’s impossible...

No matter how you slice it, both sides have their demands, and the tug-of-war may continue until August; let’s all take a summer break!

At this point, there are no winners.

As time passes, the Warriors are losing even the chance to “pick up cigarette butts”...

But there’s good news: Forde and Melton have reached a verbal agreement with Golden State, but Kuminga’s situation is delaying these signings.

If you’re a Warriors fan, aside from waiting, your current wish should be:

For Horford and Melton to be honest and trustworthy American citizens...