The Golden State Warriors could already be on the precipice of losing one of their 2021 lottery picks this offseason, so they don’t want to compound that issue by simply giving away another in the process.
That’s the prevailing thought emanating from the latest reporting on Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency situation, with the Warriors balking at the most recent trade offer from the Sacramento Kings largely because they don’t want to lose Moses Moody (or Buddy Hield for that matter).
Warriors don’t want to include Moses Moody in a Jonathan Kuminga trade
This is where base-year compensation rules are really impacting the value that Golden State can get back in a Kuminga sign-and-trade. Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on Friday that the Kings have offered Kuminga a three-year, $63 million deal and proposed a trade package of Malik Monk and a lottery protected 2030 first-round pick.
On the surface that doesn’t seem like horrific value, but as Amick points out, such a deal would also require the Warriors to shed the salary of Moody or Hield to make it happen. Suddenly it becomes a lot less enticing, particularly given that adding Moody to the trade would be a final and brutal goodbye to whatever is left of the “two-timeline” ambitions.
It’s hard to imagine Joe Lacob doing cartwheels in this scenario. From having three lottery picks and a rising star in Jordan Poole at the time of their 2022 championship, to the potential of having none of those players on the roster just over three years later. That’s a nightmare whichever way you slice it.
Moody may not have star-level upside, but he showed enough last season to suggest he can be a consistent and meaningful rotation player. The 23-year-old became a solidified starter for Steve Kerr until the point a thumb injury completely negated his impact, but a full offseason to recover means he should be back an improved player again next season while on what should be a team-friendly contract.
For a team that’s butchered their recent young talent, there’s added optics around this situation. The Warriors may therefore hold Moody in higher value simply to point to the idea that they got something from those 2020 and 2021 drafts.
Giving up Kuminga for Monk and a first-round pick might be tolerable for many Warrior fans, but sacrificing Moody to make it happen suddenly changes it to a no-go. While far from untouchable in trade discussions, there’s little doubt the Warriors hold Moody as part of their future given he’s the only player contracted on the roster beyond 2027.
