The Warriors are constructed to win now, but what does that mean for the team’s future?
While the situation surrounding restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga remains at a standstill, Zach Lowe shared his thoughts on Golden State’s future.
“The other depressing thought about the Warriors as currently constructed,” Lowe said. “Depressing but also like the most likely outcome by far to the end of a dynastic era, is that the two timelines thing has not happened.
“And the post-Steph future, despite all the talk about it, all the careful planning for it, several savvy picks like [Brandin] Podziemski, looks like a good pick for where he was drafted.”
Brandin Podziemski averaged 11.7 points per game last season and shot 44.5 percent from the field. It was a solid effort from Podziemski along with several other young role players, but the main focus continues to be on Kuminga.
“Even a guy like [Trayce] Jackson-Davis looks like a good pick for where he was drafted,” Lowe continued. “Despite all of that, the post-Steph future looks incredibly bleak. The Kuminga transaction, whatever it is, to me is maybe the single most important franchise-building transaction that’s coming in the next two to three to four months in the NBA.
Kuminga averaged 15.3 points per game last season on 45.4-percent shooting from the field. The 22-year-old missed 31 games last year due to a sprained right ankle.
The former No. 7 overall pick has shown spurts of greatness, but high-level consistency has been the issue.
“And I just don’t see a world in which that transaction sets the Warriors up for a happier post-Steph future,” Lowe added. “Because I don’t think that’s going to be, we re-sign Kuminga and he’s a breakout star for us. I think it’s going to be a sign-and-trade in which the return is slightly underwhelming.”
Mike Dunleavy has a tough decision to make this offseason on whether or not Kuminga will be a Warrior next season, and it could shape the franchise for several years to come.
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