Warriors Must Re-Sign Jonathan Kuminga in Free Agency amid NBA Trade Rumors

The partnership between the Golden State Warriors and former lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga has never felt particularly comfortable for either side.

That doesn't mean it's worth breaking apart, particularly not in a cash-strapped NBA free agent market.

With limited cap space available and no obvious suitors in sight, it's becoming increasingly less likely for Kuminga to even approach the kind of contract he hoped to find as a restricted free agent. Last October, there was talk of him seeking a salary "well beyond" $30 million. While it's tricky to say exactly what his market is at this point, it almost certainly isn't that.

So, the consensus around the Association now, per NBA insider Jake Fischer, is that Kuminga and the Warriors could reach agreement on a "short-term" contract.

This might be a marriage of convenience, but it still beats the alternative.

For Kuminga, it's sort of an elongated take on the bet-on-yourself model. He figures to get some degree of pay raise in his annual salary, but this meant to be a stepping stone toward the jackpot payday he has long envisioned.

And this might have legs to it.

While Warriors coach Steve Kerr seems convinced Kuminga is an awkward-at-best system fit, the hyper-athletic swingman is clearly talented and rarely fumbles a big opportunity when one actually comes his way. Look at Golden State's most recent playoff run for evidence of that. When the Dubs were starved for scoring on the heels of Stephen Curry's hamstring strain, there was Kuminga—out of the rotation to start the playoffs—pumping in 24.3 points per night on 55.4 percent shooting over their final four outings.

He is a gifted scorer and a special athlete. His game maybe hasn't branched out in enough different directions for him to more adequately handle a supporting role, but he has the physical tools to be a shutdown defender and a reliable rebounder.

Plus, maybe the right, star-searching franchise wouldn't want him to just plug into a complementary role. Teams short on young, blue-chip talent might see real centerpiece potential in him.

While he's been with the Warriors for four seasons—and his tenure has probably felt longer than that for both him and the team—he won't even turn 23 until October. He's actually younger than Nique Clifford, the 24th pick in last month's draft.

Kuminga still has a lot of runway in front of him. His career could take flight yet. In other words, he'd have more than blind hope driving him toward a potential wager on his ability to breakout and secure the bag on the contract after this one.

As for Golden State, Kuminga is too good of an asset to let leave for nothing. While the Warriors could poke around for potential sign-and-trades, that possibility feels less likely the longer he goes unsigned.

Fischer did mention four teams to watch as potential landing spots for Kuminga: the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. There are worries with all four.

The Heat have yet to express real interest, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. There is no "traction" on a Bulls' pursuit, per K.C. Johnson of CHSN. The Kings have no obvious candidates for a Kuminga sign-and-trade that the Warriors would want. The Pelicans have no easy path toward paying Kuminga what he wants while staying under the luxury tax.

The market for a simple split from Kuminga just isn't there and almost certainly won't materialize with money already drying up around the Association. The smart move for the Warriors, then, is to get a Kuminga deal done and spend the next handful of months figuring out if he can morph himself into being the kind of player they want him to be. If not, they can recheck the market once he becomes trade-eligible and perhaps have far more potential trade partners worth exploring.

At worst, they're "stuck" with a talented 22-year-old who gets buckets despite being an imperfect fit. At best, they either see him emerge as a no-doubt keeper for the post-Curry era or showcase Kuminga long enough to attract a suitor who sends someone (or something) of substance back to Golden State.

Losing him for nothing would be a mishandling of his restricted free agency. The Warriors, who effectively have everything riding on their ability to ace the remainder of Curry's career, have to commit to Kuminga, even if the idea is only to gain access to what should be a deeper trade market down the line.