The Golden State Warriors are at a standstill with Jonathan Kuminga. Over three weeks have gone by since the start of free agency, and things have been quiet on the Kuminga front for the most part. It’s halted the Warriors’ offseason. If only Golden State had traded Kuminga before now.

In January 2024, Shams Charania tweeted that Kuminga had “lost faith” in Steve Kerr. It came after Kerr benched the forward during the Warriors’ loss to the Nuggets. Making his displeasure public was a risky move by Kuminga, with many people agreeing it was something that should’ve been handled in-house.

It seemed like there was a chance then that Kuminga could’ve been traded before the February deadline. In retrospect, the Warriors should’ve jumped on that opportunity. Between then and the end of the 2024-25 season, Kerr never granted Kuminga’s wish for an increased role.

Entering restricted free agency this summer, Kuminga told The Athletic’s Anthony Slater that he wants to see what he can accomplish when given a chance, something he said hadn’t happened yet (subscription required). He thinks he can be a multi-time All-Star.

Maybe the Warriors thought so too a year and a half ago, which is why they held onto him.

Warriors shouldn’t be in this position with Jonathan Kuminga

Kuminga’s value on the free agency market isn’t what he thought it’d be, and Golden State isn’t getting what it wants in a potential sign-and-trade. Shams made that much clear again on Thursday, stating that the Suns and Kings had made concrete offers for Kuminga, but the Warriors weren’t moved.

Golden State doesn’t want to let him go for nothing, which could happen next summer if he picks up his $7.9 million qualifying offer for the season. He’d become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. If you think that sounds ideal for Kuminga, it doesn’t. For starters, he wants more money than that now, and the kind of offer he wants might not be on the table next season.

You can see why this is such a complicated situation.

It’s easy to look back on a past situation and say what you should’ve done differently. Hindsight is 20/20. However, in Golden State’s case, the answer seemed obvious even then. Kerr and Kuminga’s issues persist. The forward was benched in the playoffs until Steph Curry got hurt. It’s a never-ending cycle. Hopefully, the Warriors will be able to put a stop to it.

Kuminga isn’t going to be the featured player on a team with Steph. He certainly won’t be the featured player on a team with Steph and Jimmy Butler. Golden State is in a predicament that it helped create.

If only the Warriors could go back in time.