(The original article was published on May 29, and the author is Anthony Slater, the Warriors' record of The Athletic website. The content of the article does not represent the translator's views)

Regarding Kumingga's uncertain future, there are essentially three competing agendas within the Warriors: Kumingga himself, namely the core team of combat power and the team management. The motivations of all parties have consensus and overlap in subtle ways, but conflict in some ways, creating a complex situation for the Warriors' most important topics this offseason.

Agenda One: Kumingga's personal appeal

restricted free agent status provides the Warriors with additional natural chips. Last summer, full free agent Klein took the initiative to leave the Warriors dissatisfied with the status quo, but Kumingga did not have the right to choose. If you want to leave the Warriors, Kumingga needs to cooperate with the management, agent Aaron Turner and the next team.

However, this is still the time when Kumingga took the biggest initiative in the first four years of his career. The 22-year-old is planning to make full use of this advantage. He is young enough to believe that there is still huge room for growth, and has been struggling in the NBA for many years, which is enough to clarify what he should look like in the early stage of his golden period.

According to league sources, Kumingga still has a vision of becoming an All-Star, rather than willing to play a fluid mid-range role in the rotation. He aspires to be a core player in the NBA offensive system, pursuing his lifelong dream of scoring 20+ points per game, a goal that has begun to shine in the last week of his fourth season of his career.

While Curry was absent due to injury, Kumingga averaged 24.3 points per game and shot 54.8% from the field in the last four games of the series against the Timberwolves: he made 22 of 29 shots within 5 feet of the basket, and was remarkable in 7 of 18 shots from outside the three-point line. He broke through Gobert to complete an unforgettable dunk, and took Naz Reed alone in the open area many times, and also took on the heavy responsibility of defending Edwards on the defensive end.

Kumingga's performance was not perfect, and the Warriors lost all four games. But as the main offensive starting point for facing top defense in the second round of the playoffs, he performed efficiently. The Timberwolves really find it difficult to limit his breakthrough. It is this highlight moment that strengthens Kumingga's belief that as long as he has full space to display (whether in the Warriors or other teams), he can fully realize his professional ideals.

league sources pointed out that this is not an irreconcilable general conflict or the style conflict between players and teams. The core issue is how to meet the contract treatment and development opportunities that Kuminga desires.

Agenda II: That is, the needs of the core team of combat power

Curry, Dream Green and Butler will have a total salary of US$139.6 million next season. Under the core of these three general managers, Dunleavy Jr., who claimed to build a team around him, the Warriors no longer have many high-paid signing chips for operation. Kumingga became the most critical variable, either leaving it with a fourth big contract (which would bring the Warriors to the luxury tax line), or reinforcing the lineup that is on the verge of winning the championship by signing first and then switching.

The last time Curry, Butler and Zhumeng Green made the stage at the same time, they were 10 points ahead in the first game against the Timberwolves, while Kumingga was only in the 9th to 11th man rotation at the time. The core team believes that if Curry hadn't been injured in a hamstring, they hope to strengthen the lineup and sprint with all their strength in the next two playoff cycles.

The ideal solution is to obtain mature players who are suitable for Cole's coaching system by signing first and then changing. This system built around Curry, Dream Green and new aid Butler has already included three unique and proven champion members. A league source took Gafford and PJ Washington's move to change the fate of the Mavericks before the trade deadline last year, when the two players (a steady starting center and an all-around wing) earned only $28.8 million a year.

Since Kumingga played his early career masterpiece against the Bulls, Coach Cole has frequently used Sean Marion as his ideal template. The Warriors lineup really needs such an all-around forward who is 2.01 meters tall, can defend five positions, grab rebounds, violent empty cuts, and does not rely on tactical design.

However, cooperation in the past five years has proved that there are natural adaptability problems between the two parties. Although Kumingga admits that he needs to improve his rebounding ability (which usually drives other links), he is essentially a ball-holding scorer, and his training system and basketball instinct are built around this trait.

league sources said there is currently no sign that the Nets are preparing to offer a quotation contract for Kuming, but various signals show that the Nets may use their capacity space as leverage to operate a multi-party trading plan this summer.

This will open up multiple possibilities for one of the most attractive players in the free agent market. With the assistance of new salary expert Jon Phelps, the Warriors management has shown operational creativity last summer - converting Clay's departure into getting Hilder and Lee Kyle through a signing first and then exchange involving six teams, while making room for signing Melton.

Similar operations may meet the first two agendas at the same time, but the real complexity lies in this.

Agenda III: Team management considerations

Regarding Kumingga's situation, the "basic annual compensation clause" in the labor-management agreement poses a key obstacle. Assuming that Kumingga receives at least 20% salary increase (must happen) and the new contract makes the Warriors exceed the salary cap (bad result), his new contract is only calculated at 50% of the salary of leaving the team when the salary is balanced in the transaction.

Specifically: If Kuming's new contract starts at $30 million, the next company will be fully included in the salary space, but the Warriors can only exchange for a salary of $15 million. The Warriors can exceed 125% of this value (i.e. $18.75 million), but if the theoretical matching value is exceeded ($15 million in this case), it will trigger the hard salary cap of the first rich line..

Putting aside the complex salary clauses, the core contradiction lies in: the double blow of the basic annual compensation clause and the restriction of the first tyrant line will greatly reduce the practical space for signing first and then changing plans.

While the trading framework can be expanded by adding other player contracts (in full amount), the Warriors management, Kumingga team and the league are expected to exhaust all options by July. The Warriors' internal sources suggest that given the market environment and financial restrictions, the most likely and prudent path may be to renew Kumingga first and then slowly consider subsequent adjustments. Is there a compromise plan for

?

Warriors boss Joe Rakob's appreciation of Kumingga is well documented. The Warriors boss insisted on using the No. 7 draw to take Kumingga at the 2021 draft. When Kumingga gradually got rid of rust and regained his scoring talent in the series against the Timberwolves, Lacob sat on the sidelines to watch the game.

"I've been listening to real-time comments from Timberwolves fans behind me all night," Warriors owner Lacob told The Athletic after the G5 game. "They've been discussing Cumingga all night. He is the only player who can really limit Edwards, and his defense is amazing. I'm proud of him after the DNP of the last round of the series. "

According to league sources, after the series, owner Lacob expressed his continued confidence in his future to Cumingga and hoped that the young forward would remain open to staying in the team. He invited Kumingga to attend the opening game of the WNBA Golden State Valkyrie, a move widely reported by local media sent a clear signal to the outside world.

But this does not constitute any guarantee, and Lacob also invited Clay to play golf last summer. A month later, the latter joined the Mavericks. However, if you want to send Kumingga away by signing first and then exchange, Lakob's level will be extremely difficult to overcome. Although Dunleavy Jr., general manager, did not praise him so bluntly, he has established decision-making authority through the successful operation of the Butler deal (which was regarded as a major success internally) in February last year. He publicly stated that he should maximize his current competitiveness, while showing prudence and patience in asset management, and clearly stated that Kumingga's technical characteristics can help the existing core.

"I'm concerned with the strengths that Kuminga shows," Dunleavy Jr. said at the season summary meeting. "Impact the basket, finish the ability, and create fouls are all things we need. He has continued to prove these abilities over the past four years, not the hypothetical potential of draft players. Based on this, we will try to retain him."

The basic annual compensation clause only applies to summer sign-in and then exchange. After the transaction is unfreezed in December, Kumingga's full salary will be available for matching, which will lift some restrictions and also make its starting salary negotiations more operational. Coach

Coach Cole is open to Kumingga's return. In the final stage of the regular season, Curry, Pojemsky, Kumingga, Butler and Mengmeng Green played together for only 12 minutes. Although he performed well in the away game against the Lakers, other rosters including Kumingga, Butler and Dream Green were not effective. During the playoff sprint stage, Kumingga, who had just missed 31 games due to injury, was eventually removed from the rotation.

"If Kumingga returns, we will definitely arrange for him to partner with Butler, Dream Green and Curry at the beginning of the season," said Coach Cole. "This is taken for granted in my opinion. We don't have this condition this season."

With Curry (37) and Butler (35) bound to carry out load management in the regular season, Kumingga is likely to get more opportunities to play with the ball most of the time, and if it performs well, it may increase further. The existing lineup has exposed the shortcomings of insufficient creativity.

Alliance sources said Kumingga did not close the door to return. Restricted free agent status makes him lack the right to choose, and the Warriors always have the final say, regardless of their personal wishes. But his acceptance of staying in the team depends on multiple factors, and the parties will start dialogue and negotiations in the interweaving of different agendas in the next month.

Original text: Anthony Slater

Compiled by: Li Taibai