SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors have long resisted the idea of trading for Jonathan Kuminga, but that stance lost some steam Thursday afternoon.
Kuminga and Golden State’s young core of Trayce Jackson-Davis, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski may be off the market, but general manager Mike Dunleavy made it clear that no one is off the table.
Any or all of them may be removed for due restitution.
“It has to be something that we feel clearly changes the trajectory of our franchise,” Dunleavy said.
For example, adding a nine-time NBA All-Star, or a six-time All-NBA team selection, or a four-time All-Defensive team selection.
Paul George is all of those things, and league sources said the Warriors are monitoring George’s situation with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he could decline his $48.8 million player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent.
And the Clippers are preparing for that possibility, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.
“We have been in ongoing discussions with Paul and his agent, Aaron Mintz,” Frank told reporters Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles. “We love Paul and we are very keen to keep him.”
“But we fully understand and respect the fact that this is a business, and players have a finite amount of time to pursue whatever they want, as well as making the most money possible.”
George, who turned 34 last month, is likely the most attractive of the UFAs available on the market. LeBron James isn’t leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, where his son Bronny will join. Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey is a restricted free agent. James Harden is simply not as appealing as George.
“I hope Paul decides to come here,” Frank said. “He’s a great player. He’s been an All-Star three times in five years. He’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He’s a great person and has a great family. I hope he’s here.”
“But I also respect the fact that if he chooses to decline, that’s his choice. He deserves it. And we’ll see how things go.”
Same for the Warriors. After finishing sixth in the Western Conference in 2023, they fell to 10th last season. They’re looking to make a big leap.
That means adding established stars whose talents can complement and strengthen veteran leaders Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, both in their mid-30s.
George, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound wing, is one of the few potential acquisitions who fit the criteria.
The Warriors don’t have the cap space to sign George as a free agent, so their only avenue to acquire him would be through a sign-and-trade deal, which can’t happen until the new cap year begins on July 1.
There are other hurdles to any such deal, but they can be overcome if all parties involved are on board.
And it’s not unreasonable to think the Warriors would sacrifice part of their future to put themselves in position to contend for a championship.
Losing any of the four young players will be tough, but letting Kuminga go after his impressive improvement last season will be especially tough.
“We like them,” Dunleavy said, “and we think they’re really good, so we need something that’s going to make us a lot better than that.”
Paul George brings enough skill to make the Warriors much better than a “good” team, and he might be the only player available that can say that.
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