The conversation with the Golden State Warriors about Jonathan Kuminga’s future will intensify as the NBA enters the offseason.
The Warriors remain divided on whether they should trade Kuminga via sign-and-trade for the appropriate player for Steve Kerr’s system, or whether they should build up his potential as their aging core continues to fade.
Former NBA star Roy Hibbert joined the debate with a warning story that could reconstruct how Golden State approaches this important decision. He believes the Warriors risk repeating the costly mistakes that have recently plagued another Western Conference franchise.
Hibbert’s warnings focus on the potential cutting between front-office vision and coaching philosophy. This can have serious consequences for the organization’s future.
Hibbert is a parallel between the current situation for the Warriors and the recent layoff of Michael Malone by the Denver Nuggets, highlighting how organizational conflict over player development can destroy successful partnerships.
“We’re thinking about Mike Malone in the Denver Nuggets situation. Calbane Booth is a GM and we want them to draft and bring certain players and develop them.”
The former NBA center highlighted that Malone’s preference for veterans like Russell Westbrook over young talent created irreparable friction in the Denver front office, which ultimately led to his firing.
“But his director Malone played the older guys and the guys he could count on, so the organization ended up getting rid of both of them,” Hibbert pointed out.
Hibbert warned that Golden State could face the same organizational tension if Kerr continues to prioritize veterans over the development of Jonathan Kuminga and other young assets.
“For me, there has to be a synergy there, and at some point, I don’t know if he’ll be the Golden State Warriors coach forever,” Hibbert said.
He suggested that Kerr may be planning his own exit strategy along with Stephen Curry’s final retirement.
However, Hibbert stressed that such an approach could create dangerous organizational discrepancies if the front office expects different priorities.
Hibbert’s most pointed warning addressed the urgency surrounding the Golden State’s aging championship core and the need for sustainable success that goes beyond the time of curry.
“But if there’s no synergy between the front office and the players, if the front office brings in players that need to be developed, he’s not playing (they) and there’s going to be a problem there,” he warned.
“And if you can’t win, the problem will get worse the following summer and people will be unhappy. You need to build for the future, Steph and they are old. Time is undefeated.”
Minnesota’s recent semi-final of the Warriors’ Western Conference, despite Curry’s lack of injury, shows Cuminga a flash of potential, highlighting the delicate balance between the current competitiveness and future sustainability that Golden State has to navigate.