Even though there are many across the league that believe the Golden State Warriors should be open to a rebuilding or retooling of their roster, it doesn’t appear that that will entirely happen this offseason. The Warriors could end up making a small move or two but at least for now, it seems as if this is a team that fully intends on heading into the offseason with the intention of keeping their championship window open for this core.
Of course, that can change at any given moment. But at least for now, there isn’t an expectation that big changes are on the horizon for the Warriors. Adding to that stance, it also seems like the Warriors have quickly shifted their mood on one of their polarizing young players.
According to a recent report, the Warriors now consider Jonathan Kuminga as an “untouchable” asset on the roster. This is a stark change over the past year. It wasn’t too long ago when it was believed that the Warriors would be willing to trade Kuminga to upgrade the roster around Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Instead, the Warriors may view Kuminga as a key part of the team’s core now.
In his third season with the Warriors, Kuminga made quite the jump. In 74 games played this season, Kuminga averaged 16 points and five rebounds on 53 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent shooting from 3-point range. Perhaps most importantly, there were signs that Kuminga could be a full-time starter for the Warriors moving forward.
As the team prepares to reshuffle, if the Warriors do end up making a splash move, it doesn’t appear as if Kuminga is going to be part of those changes. If anything, Golden State is likely going to make a roster upgrade while keeping Kuminga in mind.
And with the way he played this season in spurts, it’s no surprise that Kuminga has emerged as an “untouchable” piece for the Warriors. The big question for Kuminga and the Warriors is whether he has another developmental step in the future. If so, perhaps the Warriors will be validated in their high praise and standing of Kuminga.
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