The Brooklyn Nets aren’t expected to prepare Jonathan Kuminga an offer sheet this summer.
With the Warriors forward set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, there were several rumors that the Nets would make an offer given their salary-cap situation. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
“There is not a current expectation that the Brooklyn Nets are preparing an offer sheet for Kuminga, but there are signs Brooklyn could be willing to use its open cap space as a vehicle to execute multi-team trade scenarios this summer,” The Athletic’s Anthony Slater reported.
“That could open up several avenues and possible suitors for Kuminga, one of the market’s most intriguing names. The Warriors’ front office, with the help of new cap specialist Jon Phelps, showed some creativity last summer, routing Thompson’s departure into a six-team sign-and-trade that delivered Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson (after generating the space for De’Anthony Melton).”
The 22-year-old has all of the physical talents to become an elite NBA player, but he has struggled with consistency during his tenure with the Warriors. With Golden State committed to building around Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler next season, it doesn’t seem likely that Kuminga will fit into those plans.
After trading for Butler, Kuminga fell out of the rotation almost entirely, seeing significant game action only after Curry went down with a Grade 1 hamstring strain in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Given the 22-year-old’s contract situation, it’s more feasible for a sign-and-trade deal to materialize, and it’s possible that Golden State could get some solid players in the exchange.
The Warriors selected Kuminga with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft with the expectation that it would take time for him to develop into an elite-level player. While he has flashed brilliance at times, it’s clear that the “two-timeline” approach owner Joe Lacob envisioned isn’t working out.
With Curry continuing to play at a high level, it’s clear that general manager Mike Dunleavy and the rest of the Golden State front office are looking to acquire more complementary pieces to fill out the roster.
Only time will tell if Kuminga fits into those plans or not.
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