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Report: Warriors will not trade Jonathan Kuminga this summer

2025-08-04T15:16:28-07:00

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

THE SOAP OPERA CONTINUES!

Well, well, well. Here we are again, folks, trapped in another thrilling episode of “Will They or Won’t They: Warriors Edition.” But this time, it’s not about whether Steph will hit another impossible three or if Draymond will get ejected before halftime. No, this is the Jonathan Kuminga Show, and brother, it’s messier than a Chipotle burrito eaten while driving.

Tim Kawakami just dropped some intel that’s got Dub Nation buzzing louder than a broken air conditioner in July. According to his piece in the SF Standard, “The word I got when I checked in with a Warriors source on Sunday: Kuminga won’t be traded this summer. He’ll be back on the Warriors’ roster to start the season. And it’ll either come when he signs the Warriors’ offer or accepts the $7.9 million one-year qualifying offer.”

The Warriors unenthusiastically engaged in a few sign-and-trade discussions, but a source says they're now out on those talks and that Jonathan Kuminga will be on the team this season.

What this means and also my simple compromise proposal.https://t.co/ewdJ3d14hz
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) August 4, 2025

Ouch. That’s not exactly the warm fuzzy feeling you want when you’re a 21-year-old with lottery pick expectations and a contract situation that’s more complicated than assembling IKEA furniture without the instructions.

Let’s be brutally honest here... this whole situation feels like watching paint dry, except the paint keeps changing colors and nobody knows what the final result is supposed to look like.

Here’s the thing about JK that drives me absolutely bonkers: the talent is there. It’s right there, staring us all in the face like a neon sign in Vegas. The athleticism, the flashes of brilliance, the moments where you think “Daaaamn, this kid could be special.” But after four years we’re still not sure what we have with hi.

The front office isn’t panicking, they’re not rushing, and they’re certainly not throwing money at a problem that might solve itself with time and development.

A quick (and belated) follow-up on the Jonathan Kuminga reporting from Friday: Anyone saying the first-round pick protections are the only obstacle to a Kings-Warriors sign-and-trade is wrong, as I'm told Golden State really doesn't want to move either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody…
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) August 4, 2025

But here’s where it gets spicy: this isn’t just about Kuminga anymore. This is about the Warriors’ championship window, their salary cap flexibility, and whether they believe this young core can actually contribute to title number five. Every day they wait is another day closer to tough decisions about guys like Wiggins, about the luxury tax, about whether this dynasty has one more run left in it.

Look, I’ve been watching this team long enough to know when they’re serious about a player and when they’re just being polite. Remember Jacob Evans? Remember Jordan Bell? Remember the parade of “potential” that marched through Chase Center before actually contributing?

Kuminga isn’t those guys, but he’s not Steph Curry either. He’s somewhere in that maddening middle ground where you can see the ceiling but you’re not sure if he’s got the ladder to reach it.

This saga isn’t ending anytime soon, which means we’re all buckled in for more months of “Will he or won’t he?” content. Kuminga’s got the talent to make this whole discussion look ridiculous in hindsight, or he’s got the inconsistency to make the Warriors look smart for not committing.

Either way, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Dub Hub: Warriors reportedly turn down Kings’ offer of Malik Monk, protected pick for Jonathan Kuminga

2025-08-01T12:00:00-07:00

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images

Rounding up all Warriors and NBA related news for Friday, August 1st.

In today’s Dub Hub:

Warriors reportedly reject a trade offer of Malik Monk and a protected first-round pick from the Kings for Jonathan Kuminga, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Steph Curry’s movie ‘GOAT’ releases its first trailer.
Knicks and Mikal Bridges agree to a four-year, $150 million extension, per ESPN.

The Golden State Warriors have declined a recent trade proposal from the Sacramento Kings involving restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to a report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick.

Per the report, Sacramento offered guard Malik Monk and a lottery-protected 2030 first-round pick to Golden State as part of a sign-and-trade deal for Kuminga, who was offered a three-year, $63 million contract.

However, Golden State reportedly pushed back on the protections tied to the draft pick and insisted that any first-rounder in return for Kuminga be unprotected.

Via The Athletic:

As for the Kings, who last spoke with the Warriors earlier this week, team sources say they’ve offered a three-year, $63 million deal for Kuminga in a proposal that would send veteran guard Malik Monk and their 2030 first-round pick (lottery protected) to the Warriors (that deal would require the Warriors to move more salary elsewhere to stay under the first apron, likely Moses Moody or Buddy Hield). If that pick didn’t convey, then the Warriors would get the least favorable of the Kings or San Antonio’s first-round pick in 2031. Those protections have been the primary sticking point, team sources said, as the Warriors have insisted that the first-rounder be unprotected. Thus, the stalemate.

Despite interest in Kuminga from other teams, the Warriors appear committed to keeping strong leverage in any potential deal. The 22-year-old power forward’s best known offer from Golden State has reportedly been in the range of a two-year, $40 million deal, as Kuminga’s camp continues to explore sign-and-trade possibilities that could offer him more value and a larger role.

Meanwhile, Monk averaged 17.2 points per game last season and shot 43.9% from the field and 32.5% from three. His shot creation and scoring punch off the bench could offer value to a Warriors team that still leans heavily on Stephen Curry to generate offense. However, it’s unclear whether Golden State would be willing to give up either Moses Moody or Buddy Hield—two players Amick reports would need to be moved in order for the team to stay under the first apron.

For now, the Kings-Warriors talks, just like all talks involving Kuminga, remain at a standstill.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, August 1st:

Warriors News:

Jonathan Kuminga’s camp has declined offers from the Warriors, per ESPN

On Jonathan Kuminga declining the Warriors' free agent offers and what comes next for NBA Today with @malika_andrews and @anthonyVslater: pic.twitter.com/d4I9qmgB2k
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 30, 2025

Sources: Warriors unmoved by Kings, Suns’ Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade pursuit | ClutchPoints

There has been rampant speculation from fans on social media about the inclusion of Ryan Dunn being a potential holdup in sign-and-trade discussions. These rumors are not true as the Suns have not added Dunn in any scenario discussed with the Warriors, sources confirmed. Suns insider John Gambadoro has also shut down talk of Dunn being involved in these trade talks.

NBA free agency fact or fiction: CBA impact? End of bonuses? | ESPN

“One can only point to the ‘New CBA’ and the 2nd apron (hard cap) for absolutely putting an end to Free Agency as we once knew it.”

Is Green right? Are other offseason trends here to stay? To answer those claims — including whether the middle class of players is getting squeezed out and the state of restricted free agency — we played a game of fact or fiction.

NBA posts Steph Curry dribbling highlights for handles week

16 years in...
Still leading in 3PG...
Still leading in FT%...

And still putting on dribbling clinics every night

STEPH. CURRY. pic.twitter.com/Rkz10RMKmC
— NBA (@NBA) July 31, 2025

First trailer for the movie ‘GOAT’ produced by Stephen Curry

What happens when the smallest player gets the biggest shot?

From producer Steph Curry comes GOAT — an animated comedy about proving that you’re never too small to dream big.

Hits theaters February 2026.#GoatMovie #SonyPicsPartner @The_Goat_Movie pic.twitter.com/Iw5rkdPTIk
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 30, 2025

NBA News:

Knicks, Mikal Bridges agree to 4-year, $150 million extension | ESPN

Bridges is taking a slight discount from his max extension number ($156 million) to help New York maintain flexibility to continue building the roster. Bridges, along with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and others, helped lead the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years last season.

Who is Gilbert Arenas? Former NBA guard with unserious persona now in serious scenario | The Athletic

The charges this time against Arenas are serious once again. Arenas is accused of working with Yevgeni Gershman, who the government claimed to be a member of an Israeli organized crime group, as part of illegal poker games. That association would appear to be more dangerous, not funny. Arenas is also accused of lying to investigators while trying to recover money seized by Homeland Security by saying he wasn’t a part of the illegal gambling.

Sixers’ President Daryl Morey claims the 2020 bubble was not a ‘genuine championship’

Sixers President Daryl Morey kept it real about the Lakers' 2020 championship in the bubble

(via The Athletic) pic.twitter.com/Q7JYdtVJsn
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 30, 2025

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

Chris Paul returns to Clippers, Warriors should remind him why he left

Let the old man have his homecoming. Let him savor the sights and sounds of Intuit Dome. And then let the Warriors show him that some things never change...that when it comes to championship-level execution, the Warriors still own the deed to Paul’s basketball soul. With all due respect!

A tweet to end the week:

In 2016 a Curry corner 3 was more efficient than Bron at the rim https://t.co/tlfTCVVJmB
— (@ISAAC4O8) July 31, 2025

Follow @unstoppablebaby on Twitter for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.

Golden State mailbag!

2025-07-31T20:54:56-07:00

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Your questions answered. Hopefully.

It’s a quiet time of year in the NBA, and no team has been more quiet than the Golden State Warriors. So it isn’t too surprising that when I put out a call for a mailbag, I didn’t get too many responses. But I did get a few, so thanks to everyone who dropped some great Qs.

And while it has been a quiet month for the Warriors, it hasn’t been one for the Golden State Valkyries. So let’s start there...

warriorsscore110

Can you do a weekly post on GSV, at least during the WNBA season. Or perhaps bring someone on board who can cover team. I think a lot of us want to get more into women’s basketball because it’s an awesome sport to watch… but it’s hard to create genuine fandom over such a new product. I’ve rooted for the Warriors all my life and the Seattle Storm light for 20 years but I want to become a major GSV/WNBA fan.

GSV was surprisingly on track to make the playoffs. Their top draft pick is a ‘draft and stash’ overseas, and their best player Kayla Thornton just went down… likely ending playoff dreams but it was fun catching a few games with a competitive squad so far this season.

Please help me/us become more than casual fans!

Appreciate everything ya do Brady, keep up the great work!

First off, thank you for this — both the kind words, and the suggestion. And out of respect, I’ll be fully transparent with my answer here.

My goal going into the season was to cover the Valkyries as closely as I cover the Warriors, with recaps for every game, analysis, newsers on all the trades, etc. But, in full transparency, the Warriors season wiped my out pretty hard this year, and for those of you who don’t know, I also run our sister site, McCovey Chronicles. It’s been a very busy Giants season, and that’s taken up a lot of my summer (hence the lack of content here, not just for the Valkyries but also the Warriors).

So, I’m going to try to change that. The Valkyries are awesome, and no WNBA fanbase is better than Golden State’s. What the team is doing is historical for an expansion franchise, and they’ve been as fun to watch as they are a good story. I’ll make sure we have more Valkyries content going forward — and I really appreciate the open desire for it.

Cosmo4gsw

Can you make a separate site for Valkyries and WNBA? I'd prefer GSOM to be devoted to a single team.

I understand the sentiment, but no can do, boss. First and foremost, I just don’t see the need. This is a Golden State site, not a Warriors site. The Warriors and Valkyries don’t have overlapping seasons, but they do have overlapping courts, facilities, ownership, and, critically, fans. Why shouldn’t they be together? This is a site where anyone with a love of Bay Area professional hoops can come and hopefully get what they’re looking for.

Besides, building an entirely new site is a pricy venture, and that price is warranted when there’s a perfectly good place for the content.

LBrandeis

Women do have the opportunity to play pro sports. The first pro league for women was started in 1978. That is not the issue. Women's pro basketball has not demonstrated the ability to stand up on their own two feet. The NBA supports them basically because they see them as and investment opportunity. The Warriors have decided to make the women's team part of their organization. That is their right. I just do not like being forced fed something I do not want, need or care about.

"It's actually closer to the way I see the game (never seen the hoop from above!)"

Most of the game is below the rim. Just ask Stephen Curry.

This one wasn’t a question, but rather a comment in a conversation that followed from the previous question. And I just wanted to address it, because it includes some common misconceptions that are often bandied when the W is being discussed.

First, I need to point out a contradiction that you made, and that many do. It doesn’t really make sense to say that women’s basketball can’t stand on its own feet, but that it’s supported because it’s an investment. Those sentiments contradict each other; if it’s not capable of making money, then it’s not an investment opportunity.

Second, the NBA “support” is a rather sizable misunderstanding. The NBA is not a company — it’s an association of dozens of companies. So it can’t really operate as an investor. The WNBA is simply one leg of the conglomerate, along with the G League, NBA Cares, etc. etc.

Third, and most important, the WNBA is profitable. Every few weeks some ill-informed person will take to social media to claim that it exists only on NBA subsidies and that it’s hemorrhaging money, but that isn’t actually the case. The WNBA is doing quite well — far better than the NBA was doing at this stage in its life. Most of the teams are profitable, and valuations are soaring — the Valkyries, for instance, have a higher valuation than the Warriors did when Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the team 15 years ago.

There’s also a misconception that the NBA is a cash cow through and through, which is only partially the case. While the NBA, as a whole, backs the Brinks truck up to the bank daily, there are still a handful of teams that lose money every year and only recoup it with ... wait for it ... revenue sharing! The NBA, as a whole, is supporting some of its own teams that are otherwise leaking millions of dollars annually. So I’d say we should probably stop worrying about the WNBA, where the teams aren’t actually losing money.

Anyway, no one is force-feeding the Valkyries on you.

nboothe

Is there equal angst on the Bulls, Sixers, or Nets about Giddey, Grimes, or Thomas respectively not having signed as RFAs, to JK having not signed with the Dubs? Should we take this as a sign that JK not having signed yet is perfectly normal since the other top RFAs also have not signed? And last on this topic, if one or two of these signs a deal, is that likely to create a domino affect where the rest sign?

There’s always a little angst when a restricted free agency drags on this long — remember Patrick McCaw? But I think it’s safe to say that the angst and drama surrounding Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency is more than Cam Thomas, Quentin Grimes, and Josh Giddey’s, combined.

For those three, the situation is much more clear. By all indications, each of those three players wants to return to their team, and their team wants them back. So it’s just a matter of finding a price point where everyone is happy. That’s certainly much nicer than Kuminga’s situation.

I do think there will be something of a domino effect, though. They’re all likely to end up with contracts in the same realm as each other, and with so much of free agency already past, it’s unlikely that other teams swoop in to complicate matters (except for with Kuminga). So one may set the market, and the rest will go from there.

nboothe

What has been happening with the 9 players already on the Dubs roster for the 2025-2026 season? We've seen some news about surgeries and recovery from injuries, but I'd be curious to hear how others are spending their summers. It was interesting to read about how Doncic was working on his fitness this summer for the Lakers next year. What are the Dub players doing this summer for better physical, mental, and emotional fitness for the year ahead?

It’s always a great mystery! NBA players live in the spotlight for most of the year, and most of them are pretty happy to remove themselves from it, with the exception of free agents who are trying to get a little hype with some empty gym workout videos.

So we really don’t know much beyond what they show us on social media, which is usually just trips, parties, and golf. For the Warriors, though, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler III having relaxing summers is really the best prep we could possibly hope for.

Onepunman

Are there any discussion with Hornets or Jazz for sign and trading JK?

Haven’t seen either of them linked to Kuminga. I don’t think Charlotte has anything that would make a sign-and-trade enticing to the Dubs. I thought maybe we’d get some Kuminga and Lauri Markkanen rumors, but it seems like that won’t be happening.

Then again, as this process has shown, teams tend to emerge out of nowhere. So never say never.

Jonathan Kuminga wants more control than the Warriors are willing to give him

2025-07-31T20:15:27-07:00

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

And so we have an impasse.

It’s been a month since Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga reached free agency for the first time in his career. And for the bulk of that month, we simply haven’t had much information about what’s going on. It’s been a classic holding pattern: the Warriors want one thing, Kuminga wants another, and they’ve been searching for alternate solutions, primarily sign-and-trades.

But lately we’ve started to learn more about the specifics of the staring contest. And while money and role have always been two big factors, we’re now learning about a third element: control. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater (congrats to Slater for joining ESPN), Kuminga recently turned down a two-year, $45 million offer from the Warriors. That in and of itself isn’t surprising, but the reason why is: the Warriors offer included a team option for the second year and a lack of no-trade clause. Golden State was apparently unwilling to budge from that offer, while Kuminga was justifiably unwilling to take it.

According to Charania and Slater, Kuminga’s team presented the Warriors with a three-year, $82 million offer that would help the team stay under the second apron, thus ensuring that they maintain the ability to use the taxpayer mid-level exception. For now, it seems that price is too high for the Dubs ... at least without some options in there.

We may find out if that sort of deal is actually too rich for the Warriors. The Phoenix Suns have apparently made a four-year, $90 million offer to Kuminga, though it would require a sign-and-trade, and thus Golden State’s cooperation. If someone offers Kuminga a contract like that straight up — which would be very difficult for teams given the cap ramifications — the Warriors would have the right to match it, as Kuminga is a restricted free agent.

Kuminga is openly willing to bet on himself, and it seems fair to guess that if the Warriors don’t up their offer, he’ll end up doing exactly that. It still seems like the most likely outcome is that Kuminga returns to the Warriors, but it’s looking more and more likely that it will be on terms that he’s not stoked about.

Where does Steph Curry rank in the top-5 point guards in the West?

2025-07-31T17:17:49-07:00

Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

It’d be crazy to rank him #1 still...right?

Let’s be honest here, ranking the West’s elite guards in 2025 isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about understanding who controls the tempo consistently, who makes their teammates better when the margin for error disappears, and who carries the kind of gravitational pull that shifts entire defensive schemes.

So, after a couple of beers for yours truly, here’s my stab the conference’s guard royalty stands right now (apologies to the injured Kyrie Irving who just missed this list with injury).

1. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

The current reigning NBA Finals MVP and league MVP, Thunder’s conductor orchestrates chaos with surgical precision. SGA has evolved into that rare breed of scorer who doesn’t just put up numbers as empty calories. He dictates when and how his team gets those numbers. His scoring average hovers in the low-30s, but what separates him isn’t the volume; it’s the calculated aggression. Every drive feels inevitable, every pull-up jumper carries the weight of someone who knows exactly what he’s hunting.

AND YOU CAN’T TOUCH HIM OR ELSE IT’S A FOUL APPARENTLY.

4 players in '24-'25 scored 70%+ of their FGM on unassisted buckets...

- SGA: 76.2% unassisted FGM—56.9 eFG%
- James Harden: 73.8%—50.1 eFG%
- Trae Young: 71.0%—49.1 eFG%
- Jalen Brunson: 70.6%—55.1 eFG%

Creating almost everything for themselves... pic.twitter.com/Hy1IHE3mK5
— NBA University (@NBA_University) July 31, 2025

MVP. Champion. Finals MVP

SGA cements the trifecta as the 2025 #FinalsMVP pic.twitter.com/nRDDQhQaE2
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 23, 2025

What makes SGA terrifying for opposing coaches? He’s reached that LeBron-esque stage where he can simply decide to take over a quarter, and there’s very little you can do to stop it.

2. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Here’s where my Warriors bias crashes headfirst into cold, analytical reality—and somehow, both sides win.

Steph in Year 16 remains the most dangerous offensive weapon in basketball, even if the raw explosion has mellowed into something more surgical. That 24+ points per game doesn’t capture the full terror he unleashes. Curry’s gravity warps defenses in ways that make advanced metrics weep with joy. Teams still send help defenders scrambling 35 feet from the basket because they’ve seen what happens when you don’t.

Stephen Curry joined some ELITE company last night pic.twitter.com/og3CsW7QUh
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 2, 2025

The man revolutionized basketball, and he’s still out here casually redefining what “old” looks like for a superstar. When Curry’s rolling, the Warriors transform from a solid playoff team into appointment television.

3. Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Ant represents everything beautiful about basketball’s future. He’s got that rare combination of explosive athleticism and genuine basketball IQ that makes veterans nod in respect. Edwards doesn’t just score folks, he performs. Every poster dunk feels like a statement, every clutch three carries the swagger of someone who genuinely believes he belongs on this stage.

Most career 40-point games among players under 24 years old:

19 - Anthony Edwards
9 - Cam Thomas
9 - Jalen Green
6 - Paolo Banchero
6 - Tyrese Maxey

*active players pic.twitter.com/bnCmgqCJry
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) July 30, 2025

The Timberwolves have found something special in Edwards’ two-way development. He’s not just Minnesota’s leading scorer; he’s their emotional engine, the guy who sets the tone with his energy and backs it up with legitimate all-around production. He also pushed them to the Western Conference finals for the second straight season, showing that he’s turning into a tested playoff performer.

4. Luka Doncic (Los Angeles Lakers)

Luka’s 2024-25 season unfolded like watching basketball brilliance navigate absolute chaos. Those season-long numbers—28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists—represent more than statistical excellence; they’re a masterclass in sustained greatness amid organizational upheaval. What makes these figures remarkable isn’t just the volume, but the 58.7% true shooting percentage that places him among the league’s most efficient high-usage creators. Can you imagine maintaining that level of production through a midseason trade that shook the basketball world?

February’s blockbuster trade—Luka for Anthony Davis—marked the first midseason swap between All-NBA players in league history. The basketball universe held its breath, wondering if genius could translate across organizational philosophies. The answer came with surgical precision: 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists across 28 Lakers games.² Watching Luka mesh with LeBron felt like witnessing two master tacticians discover they speak the same strategic language, transforming Los Angeles from playoff hopefuls into genuine contenders.

The postseason revealed both transcendent gifts and glaring vulnerabilities. Luka’s 30.2 playoff points per game showcased elite offensive production, but Charles Barkley’s brutal assessment of ”Luka can’t guard a chair”captured the defensive reality that haunted crucial moments. Championship teams demand complete players, and Luka’s conditioning concerns became painfully visible when games slowed down and every possession mattered.

5. James Harden (Los Angeles Clippers)

The Beard continues to prove that basketball IQ ages like fine wine. Harden averaged 22.8 points and 8.7 assists per game last season. Those numbers that tell only half the story of his continued excellence. What separates him in this veteran stage isn’t just the step-back three that still haunts defenders’ dreams; it’s his evolved understanding of when to hunt his own shot versus when to orchestrate for others.

BREAKING: 11-time NBA All-Star James Harden is declining his player option and intends to sign a new two-year, $81.5 million contract to return to the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qQMwkkMjMs
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025

At 8.7 assists per game, Harden remains one of the league’s premier playmakers, threading passes that create easy buckets and keeping the Clippers’ offense humming even when Kawhi Leonard need maintenance. His 35.2% three-point shooting keeps defenses honest, and that 87.4% free-throw percentage reminds everyone that some skills never fade.

The Clippers built their championship window around veterans who know how to maximize their remaining prime years. Harden embodies that philosophy perfectly.

Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis off limits in potential Jonathan Kuminga-Kings trade

2025-07-31T09:31:33-07:00

Jonathan Kuminga #00 of the Golden State Warriors reacts before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Four of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Chase Center on May 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. | Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The Kings keep sending offers, and the Warriors keep denying.

This summer, the Warriors have been fielding calls to trade 5th-year forward Jonathan Kuminga. Most notably, rumors have been flying around between the Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. The Kings previously offered Devin Carter and Dario Šarić, but the Warriors rejected this offer. The Kings have revised this offer and added picks, but it seems the Warriors want a young, rotational player in return.

However, the Kings have made it clear that breakout players Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis are both off-limits. Murray, 24, averaged 12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists during the 2024-25 season. Ellis, 25, overcame a lengthy and controversial bench stint orchestrated by former Kings coach Mike Brown last season. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists last season, and it’s clear the Kings believe in him to continue on an upward trajectory. Kuminga is a younger player with better scoring and defense than Murray last season alone, so it is unclear why the Kings don’t want to take a chance with him.

Ideally, here at lisco_2000’s little corner of Golden State of Mind, we’d like to see the Warriors accept an offer for Dario Šarić if possible. You know why.

Chris Paul returns to Clippers, Warriors should remind him why he left

2025-07-30T20:30:00-07:00

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

CP3’s back in L.A. chasing closure, but the Dub Nation would love to see their rival-turned-teammate-turned-opponent get served by the Warriors again.

I just wrote a piece about how Damian Lillard’s return to the Portland Trail Blazers is pretty awesome, and also a reminder of Steph Curry’s death grip on the point guard position in the Western Conference over the last decade-plus years.

And now how do you capture the sheer poetry of Chris Paul’s NBA odyssey? Here’s a man who spent six years trying to build something special in Los Angeles, watched it crumble in the cruelest ways imaginable, then spent seven seasons wandering the basketball wilderness like some sort of hardwood nomad...only to end up right back in L.A.

“I wanted to get back and play here, by any means necessary.”@CP3 had his sights set on a return to LA since his trip to the Finals in 2021. pic.twitter.com/rFgwY20aml
— NBA (@NBA) July 28, 2025

The 40-year-old Point God is home again, but this isn’t the same Clippers organization he left in 2017. This isn’t even the same planet.

When Lob City Had Everything Except the One Thing That Mattered

Remember those Lob City Clippers? Blake Griffin throwing down thunderous dunks, DeAndre Jordan protecting the rim like a seven-foot security system, and CP3 orchestrating it all with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker. They had athleticism, they had highlights, they had the kind of explosive offense that made SportsCenter producers weep tears of joy.

What they didn’t have was that elite two-way wing who could create his own shot when the playoffs got nasty and defenses tightened up like a vice grip. They had good players (hell, they had great players) but injuries and inexplicable collapses marked their downfall. They did eliminate the Warriors out of the postseason in 2014, which set off Golden State’s meteoric rise.

They also lacked a traditional wing scorer who could get a bucket at will when the Lob City connection stalled. Paul himself acknowledged this fundamental flaw when he jumped ship to Houston in 2017, chasing a championship with James Harden. The message was clear: talent alone wasn’t enough. You needed that transcendent wing scorer, that guy who could bend the fabric of space-time when everything was on the line.

The Long Road Home

What followed was Chris Paul’s version of “Eat, Pray, Love”. Except it was more like “Facilitate, Compete, Survive.”

Houston gave him that elite guard in Harden, and they came tantalizingly close to toppling the Warriors dynasty. But Father Time remained undefeated, and Paul’s body betrayed him at the worst possible moment.

Oklahoma City was supposed to be a rebuild year, a chance to mentor young talent. Instead, CP3 dragged a team that had no business sniffing the playoffs to a respectable showing, proving that basketball IQ and veteran leadership could still move mountains.

Phoenix offered redemption: a NBA Finals appearances, MVP-level play from Devin Booker, the whole nine yards. But even that magical run couldn’t deliver the championship that has eluded Paul his entire career.

Then came the Warriors stint, which feels like the most fascinating footnote in this entire saga. Golden State had 56% win percentage in games he actually played. The Chris Paul Effect—that documented phenomenon where teams improve dramatically with his presence—was alive and well even in the Bay Area.

And with the San Antonio Spurs he was able to show the young phenom Victor Wenbamyama a deeper side of the game in ways that will probably unfold over the next decade of basketball. Ruh roh!

But here’s the thing about Chris Paul: he’s never been content just making teams better. He wants to make teams champions.

The New Clippers: Same Franchise, Different Universe

Fast-forward to 2025, and Paul finds himself back in Inglewood, but this time the Clippers have solved that eternal riddle that plagued Lob City. They’ve got Kawhi Leonard, who when healthy, one of the most devastating two-way wings in NBA history. They’ve got James Harden, Paul’s former running mate who can still create offense out of thin air. They’ve assembled what Yahoo Sports calls potentially the oldest roster in NBA history, with an average age over 33 years old.

This is the basketball equivalent of The Expendables folks, a collection of aging superstars who’ve decided that experience trumps athletic decline. Where Lob City was all bounce and athleticism, this Clippers team is pure basketball IQ and veteran savvy.

The contrast is stark and beautiful. Those early 2010s Clippers could run you off the court in transition, but they sometimes were limited in the half-court when the game slowed down. This current iteration might not have the same athletic ceiling, but they’ve got something arguably more valuable: championship-level talent at the positions that matter most.

Official first look…

CP3 back in Clipper threads ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lQXjCtaaiJ
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 28, 2025

Paul returning to this version of the Clippers feels like cosmic justice. He spent years searching for that missing piece, that elite wing who could carry the scoring load when it mattered most. Now he’s got two of them.

The Circle Comes Full

There’s something deeply nostalgic about athletes returning to where their stories began, especially when they’re carrying the wisdom that only comes from years of heartbreak and near-misses. Paul isn’t the same player who left Los Angeles seven years ago. He’s older, slower, more selective about his spots. But he’s also more dangerous in his own way, because I’m pretty sure by now he knows exactly what championship teams require.

The beautiful irony? Paul’s journey through the league, from Houston’s offensive brilliance to Oklahoma City’s overachievement to Phoenix’s Finals run to Golden State and San Antonio’s championship cultures, has given him a master class in different approaches to winning. He’s returning to the Clippers not just as a player, but as a walking encyclopedia of basketball DNA.

For Warriors fans, though, this reunion presents a delicious opportunity. Nothing would be more fitting than Golden State reminding CP3 of exactly why he left Los Angeles the first time by absolutely demolishing this nostalgic experiment. After all, the Warriors spent years being the ceiling that Paul couldn’t break through. Why should that change now?

Let the old man have his homecoming. Let him savor the sights and sounds of Intuit Dome. And then let the Warriors show him that some things never change...that when it comes to championship-level execution, the Warriors still own the deed to Paul’s basketball soul. With all due respect!

Agent Zero Captured: Former Warrior Gilbert Arenas arrested

2025-07-30T15:48:39-07:00

Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Before the downfall, Gilbert Arenas was Golden State’s rising star. As federal gambling charges resurface his name, Warriors fans are left wondering what could’ve been if Agent Zero had never walked away.

Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday on federal gambling charges, and somewhere in the Bay, a Warriors fan is staring at their championship banners wondering about the path not taken. Because before Agent Zero became a cautionary tale (before the guns, the injuries, the alleged gambling) he was our guy.

The arrest feels like cosmic irony. Here’s a player whose career trajectory changed because of a card game argument, now facing time in federal prison for running card games. But strip away the headlines, and you’re left with the most fascinating “what if” in Warriors history: What happens if our Most Improved Player winner never walked away?

BREAKING: Gilbert Arenas and five other defendants – including a suspected high-level member of an Israeli transnational organized crime group – were arrested today on a federal indictment alleging they operated an illegal gambling business in which high-stakes poker games were… pic.twitter.com/i9KxTwn2Xb
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 30, 2025

The Draft Day Discovery That Almost Changed Everything

Let’s establish the analytical foundation here. The Golden State Warriors selected Arenas 31st overall in the 2001 draft. A second-round selection that produced more Win Shares than half the lottery picks from that class. How do you measure the organizational competence required to identify that level of talent in the second round, then measure the organizational incompetence required to lose him two years later?

Arenas broke out in his second year with Golden State after only playing in 47 games his rookie season. He played and started in all 82 games, averaging 18.3 points per game and earning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in the process. That’s not just development folks, that’s the kind of exponential player growth that transforms franchises.

Think about what 18.3 points per game meant in 2002-03. This was before the pace-and-space revolution, before the three-point explosion. Arenas was generating elite offensive production in an era where 95 possessions per game was considered fast-paced basketball.

His breakout season put the Warriors in a bit of a pickle. Golden State had signed Arenas to a two-year deal after the draft, which made him eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2003. Problem was, the Warriors were already over the cap. The CBA mechanics here are instructive. Golden State could only match offers up to the Early Bird exception – approximately $4.9 million annually. The Wizards offered Arenas a six-year, $65 million offer sheet. When you’re getting outbid by 3-to-1 margins on your own Most Improved Player, that’s not competitive disadvantage – that’s front office malpractice.

But let’s run the alternative scenario through analytical rigor. Suppose the Warriors had managed their salary cap efficiently in 2002-03. Suppose they’d prioritized Arenas over veteran mediocrity. What does that roster construction look like?

You’re building around a 22-year-old guard who can create his own shot, handle playoff pressure, and whose peak efficiency metrics project to All-Star territory. That changes your draft strategy, your trade targets, your entire organizational philosophy. Instead of cycling through veteran role players hoping for playoff relevance, you’re building sustainable competitive infrastructure around legitimate young talent.

The Strategic Revolution That Never Happened

In December 2006, while Bryant had 45 points, Wizards star guard Gilbert Arenas dropped 60 points on him. “He doesn’t seem to have much of a conscience. I really don’t think he does,” Kobe continued. “Some of the shots he took tonight, you miss those, and they’re just terrible shots. Awful. You make them and they’re unbelievable shots”.

When Kobe Bryant (a player whose shot selection was legendarily aggressive) is questioning your conscience, you’ve reached a different stratosphere of offensive audacity. But here’s the analytical insight Warriors fans miss: Arenas wasn’t just a high-volume scorer. His shot profile was revolutionary.

Before Steph made 30-foot heat checks feel surgical, Gilbert was letting them fly with no conscience and no analytics department to back him up

He was taking and making shots that wouldn’t become mainstream until the Curry era. Deep threes, transition pull-ups, contested step-backs...Arenas was pioneering the shot selection that would eventually define modern basketball. In our alternative timeline, the Warriors don’t just retain a star player; they retain the prototype for the offensive revolution that eventually won them championships.

In December 2009, Arenas and Washington Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton were involved in an incident where they brought guns into the locker room, which Arenas later said was the result of trash talk from a card game on a team flight. The gun incident effectively ended his prime years, but organizational context matters here.

Would “Gungate” happen in a Warriors locker room? Eh, probably lmao.

The Statistical Legacy That Never Was

Arenas, 43, last played in the NBA in 2012 with the Memphis Grizzlies. The three-time All-Star averaged 20.7 points per game over parts of 11 seasons. But those career numbers reflect a player whose prime was truncated by injury and suspension, whose peak efficiency was achieved in an era where his skill set was undervalued.

In our Warriors timeline, Arenas develops alongside the analytics revolution that eventually defined the franchise. His shot selection, which seemed reckless in 2006, becomes prescient by 2014. Most importantly, he becomes the organizational proof of concept for second-round development. The Warriors eventually drafted Draymond Green 35th overall in 2012. Would they have identified Green’s potential without the institutional memory of what second-round stars look like? Would they have prioritized player development infrastructure without experiencing the cost of losing homegrown talent?

The ripple effects extend beyond individual careers. Retaining Arenas changes how the organization approaches talent evaluation, how they structure player development, how they manage salary cap resources. It potentially accelerates their championship timeline by teaching them championship-caliber roster construction a decade early. Who knows?

The Eternal Question of Franchise Building

So here we are today. New headline: Former NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas was arrested in Southern California on Wednesday after authorities say he ran an illegal gambling business.

But for Warriors fans, Arenas represents something deeper than cautionary tale dynamics. He represents the fundamental question of franchise building: Do you develop and retain your best young talent, or do you trust the process of organizational patience?

We know how our timeline worked out: four championships, four generational superstars, a dynasty that redefined basketball culture. In the end, Gilbert Arenas remains arguably the most intriguing alternative history in Warriors lore. Not because keeping him would have guaranteed better outcomes, but because losing him revealed organizational limitations that took another decade to overcome.

The beautiful agony of being a fan: recognizing that every decision creates infinite possibilities, and sometimes the most important ones are the players you never get to keep.