Warriors: Time to Panic?
Today is July 10th, and NBA Free Agency began on June 30th. It has been 11 days since free agency started, yet the Warriors have yet to sign anyone to their roster. The only notable news involving them has been losing 3-time champion and decade-long player Kevon Looney, and playing a minor role in the historic Kevin Durant Rockets 7-team trade.
Every rumored move the Warriors have been involved in has seen them at the mercy of other players' decisions. Al Horford, at 39 years old, is reportedly considering the Warriors or retirement, and the same goes for Jonathan Kuminga, who is in restricted free agency. In both cases, it feels like the players have more control over the team’s future than the front office does. The only other news surrounding the Warriors is potentially re-signing De’Anthony Melton, who genuinely seemed like the perfect fit for the Warriors before partially tearing his ACL just 11 games into the season.
As each day passes, with the Warriors waiting for Kuminga or Horford to make their decisions, the team loses valuable time to make further roster moves. Due to salary cap restrictions, the Warriors' ability to make additional acquisitions is heavily dependent on Jonathan Kuminga’s contract negotiations. Hypothetically, if the Warriors land Horford and/or resign Kuminga, will it be enough to put them in a position to contend?
No.
Horford is a great player and a truly significant piece of the Celtics’ success in recent years. However, at 39 years old and standing only 6’9”, he doesn’t exactly address the Warriors' center problem, which they prioritized at the start of the offseason. While the Warriors have made do with less in the past, Horford doesn’t fully resolve the issue they set out to fix.
As for Kuminga, will he be great?
Surely. But not with the Warriors.
As a Kuminga fan, I’ve deluded myself into believing that he’s the saving grace of the Warriors. Unfortunately, from an outsider’s perspective, the relationship between Kuminga and the organization seems irreparable. The healthiest option for both parties might be to go their separate ways. While that may be ideal, what’s halting activity is that every team around the league understands that the Warriors might be a bit desperate to move off of Kuminga, even if they haven’t explicitly said so. The Warriors have received several offers for him, but each one feels like a lowball attempt to acquire Kuminga for cheap, knowing that the Warriors are ready to move on and the expensive contract that could follow.
It could be a long shot, but the Warriors might make a run at Bradley Beal if he’s bought out by Phoenix. That would help their offense when Steph isn’t on the floor, which was undeniably their biggest issue in the playoff series against the Timberwolves. Alternatively, the Warriors could look to acquire Damian Lillard and stash him for the 2026-27 season. However, that’s risky. You probably don’t want to waste another year of an aging Steph, Jimmy, and Draymond trio, putting all your faith in Lillard (who is turning 35 in five days) coming off an Achilles injury.
If you’re an average Warriors fan, you’ve probably long stopped panicking and have become numb to the feeling of waking up every day to check your phone and see nothing. If you’re a hardcore fan, you’ll likely give it one more week, but you’re undeniably getting close to your breaking point.
