There’s plenty of unrestricted free agents still searching for new teams this offseason, while a select few like Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton seemingly have guarantees from the Golden State Warriors.

Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons may be the biggest names on the unrestricted free agent market, but it’s Malcolm Brogdon who figures as potentially having the most impact heading into next season.

While the veteran point guard has been struck down by injury in the last couple of seasons, he’s still only two years removed from winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with the Boston Celtics.

Malcolm Brogdon is doing the Warriors a favor by in free agency

Brogdon has been strongly linked to the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves this offseason, yet the 32-year-old curiously remains unsigned now over two months since the period officially opened.

Is that because he’s waiting for an opportunity with Golden State once Jonathan Kuminga’s restricted free agency is resolved? That could certainly be the case after a report from NBA insider Jake Fischer of The Stein Line last week.

“In Brogdon’s case, Golden State’s long-running stalemate with restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga has contributed to the uncomfortable wait,” Fischer wrote. “We won’t know if the Warriors emerge with more serious interest in Brogdon until the state of their roster and luxury tax bill becomes clear in the wake of a resolution to Kuminga’s fate.”

Despite his injury issues, surely there’s not a world in which Brogdon finds himself out of the league entering next season? He still averaged 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes last season, while his shooting and low turnover rate should make him far more valuable compared to someone like Westbrook at his stage of his career.

If we assume that Brogdon will get a deal somewhere, then he’s doing the Warriors a favor by holding out and subsequently giving them more options once Kuminga’s free agency is settled. The former Rookie of the Year presents as one of the best remaining players on the market, and would fill a genuine need given the lack of point guards on the roster beyond Stephen Curry, but that doesn’t mean Golden State are going to take advantage of this opportunity.

According to Fischer, the Warriors are curiously set to prioritize re-signing Gary Payton II, while Seth Curry and 56th overall pick Will Richard could also hinder Brogdon’s chances of signing in the Bay.

Golden State would be best rewarding Brogdon’s patience and making him a priority signing after Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, yet they could still go in a different direction with a number of options still on the table.