As the Golden State Warriors have sought out a potential sign-and-trade for restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga this offseason, a generally cooled interest around the league has made finding a favorable return difficult if not impossible.

However, one of the original suitors for Kuminga’s services, the Chicago Bulls, could certainly have another slow start to their regular season, perhaps opening new doors for the Warriors to snipe one of their key players in a trade.

Golden State has shown interest in both Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic, and, in the right scenario, even dynamic young guard Coby White could be made available, giving the team the opportunity to add a high-impact piece in an in-season Kuminga deal.

The Warriors could take advantage if the Bulls fall apart next season

Even as Chicago looks likely to retain Giddey, who is a restricted free agent this offseason, numerous questions remain regarding the viability of their rotation. Outside of Giddey, White and ascendant young forward Matas Buzelis, the Bulls do not have very much on offense, and their middling record over the past few seasons carries severe doubt as to their ability to break out of their perennial play-in contention.

Despite a solid run in March, Chicago finished with just a 39-43 record last season, good for the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference and an ultimately failed bid in the play-in tournament.

Moreover, they began last season with an 8-12 record, a start that is likely to repeat itself as the Bulls’ roster shows no marked improvement.

Therefore, if Chicago’s front office realizes, quickly, that the current construction of their roster is not destined for contention, they could be incentivized to make a deal with the Warriors, bringing a dynamic young forward in Kuminga into their fold that could change the trajectory of their offense as he develops.

While Giddey and Vucevic would both be solid acquisitions, Golden State would likely already be covered at center by their predicted signing of veteran center Al Horford, and Chicago would likely be unwilling to part with Giddey so soon after retaining him.

However, if White, who averaged 20.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists last season through 74 games, were to become available, the Warriors might be able to swoop in and take advantage of the Bulls’ poor roster construction.

While Giddey and White both performed strongly for Chicago last season, the likelihood of them retaining both players long-term remains remote. Therefore, if Golden State continues to show patience with Kuminga’s market, previously unforeseen trade opportunities could show themselves, including perhaps the availability of White.