The Golden State Warriors want to keep Jonathan Kuminga around, but according to a front office executive who spoke with Keith Smith of Spotrac, they want to prioritize their own financial freedom and the flexibility to build out their roster, likely in an attempt to maximize their chances at winning with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. And it seems fairly clear that they won’t budge on keeping their financial flexibility intact.

“We’re trying to be responsible,” a Warriors front office executive told Smith. “With the aprons and hard caps and all of that, you can’t just throw money around. We still love Jonathan. We’re hopeful we can figure out a way to strike a balance that works for him and for us. But we’re not going to compromise our roster-building ability now, or in the future. We have to be responsible in the way we build our team.”

Now, they’ll have to figure out what all that means for them this summer.

What will happen to Jonathan Kuminga?

Kuminga has had a decent couple of years in Golden State, but he’s not an ideal fit with the rest of the core they have there. At least, not when it comes to winning basketball games at the highest level.

If Kuminga wants to reach his full potential, which he clearly believes he’s capable of doing, he needs the ball in his hands more. Acting as an off-ball cutter can only get a player so far. Kuminga needs a team that can put him first, not a team emphasizing constant ball movement around one of the best shooters of all-time.

Unfortunately, it makes a ton of sense for both sides to move on, especially considering the point made by the person Smith spoke to: The Warriors can’t afford to give Kuminga the contract he wants.

With Curry’s contract, Butler’s contract, Green’s contract, and the contracts of guys like Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, both of whom are rumored targets, they don’t have a ton of room to bring Kuminga back on a massive deal.

Some teams around the league may love to take a chance on a youngster like Kuminga. The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings are reportedly interested, and a team like the Chicago Bulls could be intrigued by the idea, too.

For the Warriors, a Kuminga move is just as much about keeping costs low as it is about finding a better fit for their team. Guys like Coby White, Keegan Murray, and a Grayson Allen/Nick Richards combination package could be very useful.