Will Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody signal contract extensions? No vital progress but, per report

Lower than six weeks from the Oct. 21 deadline, the Golden State Warriors‘ Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody haven’t signed rookie contract extensions. According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Golden State has not made vital progress towards a cope with both of them.

If they do not signal extensions, Kuminga and Moody will probably be restricted free brokers subsequent summer season. Each gamers have been chosen within the 2021 lottery, Kuminga No. 7 general and Moody No. 14. 4 gamers from their draft class — No. 1 choose Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, No. 2 choose Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, No. 4 choose Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors and No. 8 choose Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic — have already signed extensions. All of their groups, nevertheless, have been keen to supply max contracts value $224 million over 5 years. Moody hasn’t performed a large enough function in his first three seasons for that to be remotely life like, and so far Golden State has not been keen to supply Kuminga a wage in that vary, per The Athletic.

The Kuminga state of affairs is difficult. As The Athletic famous, he said in March that he’d like to be a “Warrior for life,” however at that time he was glad along with his function and thriving in it. Golden State coach Steve Kerr was beginning him at energy ahead, with Andrew Wiggins on the 3 spot and Draymond Green taking part in smallball 5. A few weeks after that interview, Kuminga needed to sit out for six video games due to tendinitis in his left knee. Kerr began Inexperienced on the 4 subsequent to rookie large man Trayce Jackson-Davis throughout that stretch, and, when Kuminga returned to the lineup, he sport off the bench for a number of video games, together with the Warriors’ play-in loss towards the Sacramento Kings.

Kuminga is one in all Golden State’s most proficient gamers, and he is nonetheless a number of weeks away from his twenty second birthday. The explanation that his function has fluctuated a lot, although, is no mystery: He isn’t a lot of a flooring spacer. He’s a profession 34.1% 3-point shooter, and, on a per-possession foundation, he tried 3-pointers barely much less continuously than Inexperienced did final season. Back in March 2023, Kerr was clear about the truth that the Warriors could not play Kuminga at small ahead if opposing groups did not respect his 3-point shot, significantly in the event that they wished to pair Inexperienced with Kevon Looney within the frontcourt. Kerr said basically the same thing this past April at his end-of-season press convention, after Inexperienced and Jackson-Davis had discovered success defensively.

“I feel what JK is is: How can he make himself extra versatile to be obtainable in numerous lineups?” Kerr told reporters. “Can he be a 3? It is a large query, and I do not know the reply to it. However know that, as we proceed to assist him and he continues to discover ways to create spacing and get his shot off a bit of faster and be extra comfy catch-and-shooting, but in addition making the best reads — as a result of as a 3 you deal with the ball extra — can he turn into a greater passer? 

“I feel he sees the ground fairly effectively, however his fundamentals when it comes to passing have to enhance if he will play the three. We’d like him to play the three if we wish to have Trayce on the market on the 5 and Draymond [at the 4]. That ideally can be an excellent defensive lineup athletically and [in terms of] size. However we’re not prepared for that but as a group, and so these are the areas that will actually be useful for JK and we’ll work with him on that stuff all summer season.”

If the Warriors aren’t assured in Kuminga’s capacity to operate as a wing, how a lot long-term cash can they realistically decide to him? In line with The Athletic, “tentative” conversations about an extension have occurred, however “a transparent divide” stays.

Moody does not have the identical unanswered questions on his sport. He is made 36% of his 3s in every of his first three seasons, and he tried them at a frequency that greater than doubled Kuminga’s final season. His talent set means that he can play with nearly any sort of lineup as a 3-and-D-and-more function participant, so it feels a bit unusual that his minutes have at the very least considerably erratic all through his tenure in Golden State. Kerr’s teaching employees, nevertheless, has constantly handled an uncommon downside for a group that has missed the playoffs for 2 years working: The roster has been deep with rotation-caliber gamers. Moody is extra well-rounded than a number of the Warriors’ reserves, however he has nonetheless sometimes been the odd man out.

This might proceed to be an issue in 2024-25. The newly signed De’Anthony Melton will presumably be forward of Moody within the wing rotation, and, if Moody does not shortly solidify his spot, he may wind up in a precarious place. If Kerr is in search of protection, Gary Payton II may play over Moody. If Kerr is in search of capturing, Buddy Hield may play over Moody. If Kuminga returns improved and reveals that he can play small ahead, it will be wonderful information for him and the Warriors and dangerous information for Moody’s minutes.

One other issue right here: Golden State’s entrance workplace believes, per the Athletic, that in between now and subsequent February’s commerce deadline, its salary-cap flexibility is a energy. The Warriors didn’t find yourself buying a star like Paul George or Lauri Markkanen within the offseason, however they continue to be in place to be opportunistic if a viable win-now commerce presents itself. Signing Kuminga or Moody to an extension earlier than the season would successfully imply that neither of them might be used as a commerce chip on this state of affairs.