SAN FRANCISCO – Although the Warriors have long resisted making Jonathan Cummings available in a trade, that position lost some power Thursday afternoon.
Kuminga and members of Golden State’s young core — Trace Jackson-Davis, Moses Moody and Brandin Podzimski — may not be on the market — but general manager Mike Dunleavy has shown that no one is untouched.
Any or all of them should be moved for proper return.
“It had to be something that we felt unequivocally changed the direction of our franchise,” Dunleavy said.
Like, say, adding a nine-time NBA All-Star. Or someone voted to the All-NBA team six times. Or, maybe, a four-time All-Defensive team member.
Paul George All those things are the same. And the Warriors are monitoring George’s position with the Los Angeles Clippers, according to league sources. He can decline his $48.8 million player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent.
And the Clippers, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said, are pushing for that opportunity.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations with Paul and his agent, Aaron Mintz,” Frank told reporters Thursday afternoon in LA. “We love Paul. We really want to keep Paul.
“But we very much understand and respect that this is a business. And players have the time to pursue whatever they want, not just to make a lot of money.
George, who turned 34 last month, would be the most attractive UFA on the market. LeBron James is not leaving the Los Angeles Lakers – not with his son Brony. Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia is a restricted free agent. James Harden is simply less attractive than George.
“We hope Paul’s decision is here,” Frank said. “It was cool. He is an All-Star three out of five years. He is one of the best two-line players in the league. He is a very good man, he has a good family. Hopefully it’s here.
But if he chooses to opt out, we respect that choice. That’s what he got. And we’ll see how things go,” he said.
So the Warriors will be. After finishing sixth in the Western Conference in 2023, they dropped to 10th last season. They are buzzing for a big bang.
That means adding a star lineup with the gifts to complement and bolster veteran leaders Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, who are in their mid-30s.
George, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound wing, is one of the few potential players who fit the bill.
The Warriors don’t have the cap space to pursue George as a free agent, so their only way to acquire him is through a sign and trade deal. That won’t happen until the new capital year begins on July 1.
There are other barriers to such a transaction, which all parties can navigate if they are willing.
And it’s safe to say that the Warriors will be willing to make some sacrifices in their future to position themselves for a championship.
Losing one of the four young men is very painful. But Kuminga will be the hardest to break up, especially after his impressive improvement last season.
“We love these guys,” Dunleavy said. “We think they’re going to be great, so there’s got to be something that makes us more than that.”
Paul George brings enough skills to make the Warriors immediately better than “good.” Of all the available players, he is the only one that can be said.