The Golden State Warriors have only one thing in mind heading into the 2025-26 season: to win a title. While things haven't exactly been moving for the Warriors this offseason, with the Jonathan Kuminga situation putting a pause on their dealings in free agency. In fact, the long rumored Al Horford signing hasn't been finalized just yet, which goes to show how the Kuminga saga has cast a huge dark cloud on the entire franchise.
Nevertheless, once the Kuminga situation reaches its natural conclusion. By the first of October, there should be a resolution to this ordeal already, with Kuminga having to decide whether or not to accept the qualifying offer by the said date. At this time, the Warriors have so much leverage, especially when cap space around the league has dried up and there remain plenty of obstacles to a potential sign-and-trade agreement with, say, the Sacramento Kings.
But at full strength, the Warriors showed last year that they could compete with anyone, with the addition of Jimmy Butler breathing new life into the Stephen Curry and Draymond Green-led core. They went 23-9 since the trade deadline (23-7 with Butler) and pulled off a first-round upset against the Houston Rockets. If it weren't for Curry's injury, they may have even made it past the Minnesota Timberwolves.
What's clear is that the Warriors have a great sense of urgency to make things work around Curry. And with that time pressure dawning on the Dubs, they must entertain trade ideas involving these players.
Jonathan Kuminga is not long for the Warriors
Whatever ends up happening between now and October 1, one thing's for sure: Kuminga and the Warriors are about to part ways. Kuminga has been longing for a bigger opportunity all his career, and after four years of being shuffled in and out of the Warriors' doghouse, he may no longer have the patience to wait for Curry to retire and be the man in the Bay.
As long as Steve Kerr is the head coach and Curry is active, Kuminga is never going to get his big break with Golden State. Kuminga is such a talented yet polarizing player. He can fill up the scoring column with ease and he has been expanding his offensive repertoire (he is a legitimate threat to average 20+ points per game over a full season), but his feel for the game on either end needs a lot of work and he doesn't have the intangibles to flourish in the Warriors' complex, motion-based system.
But one must remember that the Warriors cannot change the player Kuminga is. He cannot overhaul his entire play style; he can only improve upon what's already there.
The relationship between the two parties appears to be strained beyond repair, and it's the smart move for the Warriors to eventually part ways with the 22-year-old forward. Of course, keeping the asset is the number one priority, hence the stalemate between the two sides. But eventually, the Dubs have to trade him away and cash in before the league comes to the conclusion that Kuminga is a finished product and that he is who he's shown himself to be — a volume scorer who may have some trouble fitting in winning systems.
Dubs to give up on the 2021 draft class, part ways with Moses Moody?
The Warriors are in a pickle; their cap situation dictates that they would have to part ways with one of Moses Moody or Buddy Hield so they could facilitate a Kuminga sign-and-trade. That would gut the team's depth, which is the last thing any would-be championship contender would want considering the precedent both the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers set last season.
Moody seemed to come into his own following the addition of Butler, but he lost a bit of steam towards the end of the year and was borderline unplayable in the playoffs. That was quite the stark contrast from his previous playoff appearances, when he looked like he was ready to hear his number called anytime (especially during the 2022 NBA playoffs). But Moody was hurt during that time, explaining his poor play.
But Moody is only 23 years of age, and he drilled a career-best 1.7 triples a night. Moody is a more seamless fit within the fabric of the Warriors' roster than Kuminga ever is, and his departure would hurt more considering how important having wings who can defend multiple positions and shoot threes.
Nonetheless, the Warriors have to at least entertain the idea of trading Moody away if only to pull off a trade that, without a doubt, would improve the squad.
Is Buddy Hield safe?
All in all, Buddy Hield's first season as a Warriors player was successful. He did end up cycling in and out of the starting lineup, but he fits the team to a T. The Dubs love their elite marksmen around Curry, and it's hard to find anyone better from a volume three-point shooting standpoint than Hield.
Hield had plenty of moments in his first season in a Warriors uniform, most notably tearing the Rockets apart in Game 7 of the first round of the 2025 NBA playoffs.
While his defense leaves a lot to be desired, the Warriors will want to find alternative courses of action before they even think about trading the veteran sharpshooter.
Jimmy Butler, the ultimate failsafe
This is not to say that the Warriors should actively shop Butler. After all, Butler has established himself as a valuable member of the franchise, both on and off the court, and he's an esteemed playoff performer who could have had another classic postseason run had it not been for his tailbone injury.
But on the event that a player of Giannis Antetokounmpo's caliber requests a trade to the Warriors, then Butler should not be safe. In fact, by that point, only Curry should be guaranteed a spot on the roster.
Of course, that scenario coming to pass is very unlikely. Be that as it may, the Warriors have to prepare for all possibilities, and who's to say Antetokounmpo wouldn't be fed up eventually considering how uninspiring the Milwaukee Bucks' roster is at present?
