SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors held an extra long practice session Sunday, with extended scrimmages and a detailed film review. Steve Kerr considered it the team’s last day of training camp. With the regular season beginning on Wednesday in Portland, the Warriors will take two easy practice days leading up to it.
The biggest event between now and opening night, then, is Monday’s deadline for Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody to sign contract extensions. They have until 3 p.m. to reach an agreement with the Warriors, or else head for restricted free agency at season’s end.
Steve Kerr has met with each player in recent days to share his advice. While he has some level of input on Golden State’s personnel decisions, trades and signings are the job of general manager MIke Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of his front office. Kerr, in discussions with Kuminga and Moody, can dole out his wisdom.
“I trust Mike and his group, and I talk to my players,” Kerr said after Sunday’s practice.
“Because those are the guys I’m coaching and leading and helping. So I’d really love if both guys signed extensions. But I also understand they have to weigh the pros and cons. But I’d love to have them both here long-term. Because they’re both great to coach and they’re both getting better and better all the time. For me as a coach, when I see my players sign contracts that are life-changing, it’s really gratifying. That’s a big part of this job, is to help these guys become the best players they can be and to be able to take care of their families. I hope we get them both done, we’ll see how it plays out.”
Kerr doesn’t envy Dunleavy and the job of a general manager. As general manager of the Suns from 2007 to 2010, Kerr has experience negotiating contracts and talking with agents. But he doesn’t miss it.
For Kuminga and Moody, the Warriors must decide whether or not to commit to players who have had limited roles through much if not all of their tenure in Golden State.
The class of 2021 wings joined the championship Warriors and barely played as rookies. Kuminga, the higher-touted prospect, got more and more opportunities as he developed, blossoming into a 16.1 points-per-game scorer. Moody has played well when given the chance, but has most often found himself in rotational purgatory.
Just as Golden State must decide if it wants to commit, the players have to decide if this is where they want to be long-term, too.
If Kuminga or Moody agree to an extension, it becomes very difficult for the Warriors to trade them during the 2024-25 season. They’ll have locked down at least tens of millions of dollars for themselves and their families before they hit their athletic primes. They’ll have financial security to counterbalance injury risk.
Not signing extensions means they could potentially earn more — either with the Warriors or otherwise — in restricted free agency. Golden State would have the chance to match any offer sheet they sign, but a team could be more willing to pay either wing than the Warriors are comfortable with. As of now, only the Brooklyn Nets are projected to have more than $30 million in cap space next summer.
It’s a major decision for both, and certainly not a clear-cut one. Kevon Looney, a veteran presence in Golden State’s locker room, said his message to the young forwards would be to control what they can control.
“When you do the right things, play the right way and go out there with a mindset to win, usually things take care of themselves,” Looney said. “Good thing that JK and Moses are two of the most professional guys I know. For being that young, they carry themselves really well. They’ve been a part of this culture, so they know what it takes, what our ultimate goal is. They know if they go out and sacrifice for the team and perform at a high level, usually this team rewards their players. So hopefully it works out for them.”
Looney later added that while Kuminga “hasn’t always been the most professional,” he has seen him grow in that area; at 22, Kuminga has navigated the NBA and a new country while providing for his family, including two children.
“To see him grow from his rookie year to now you can see the professionalism,” Looney said of Kuminga. “He comes in and gets his work in. Some days he might not be happy with what’s going on, but he still comes in and does his job. He might have things going on at home, but he’s going to come in and talk basketball. He loves the game.”
From the Warriors’ perspective, maintaining in-season roster flexibility is a priority. But, at the right price, any club would want to commit to their homegrown players. They have a history of doing so.
The Warriors got burned by extending Jordan Poole before they had to, and Andrew Wiggins’ contract extension will look like an albatross last season if his struggles from last year carry over.
It’s all a lot for Kuminga and Moody to weigh.
“I talked to both of them about this,” Kerr said. “What it’s like as a player to be in this spot. So, unfortunately nobody ever offered me an extension…But I know what it’s like to be worried about contracts – I’ve played on minimum contracts, non-guaranteed, trying to make the team, I’ve done that. I’ve been in other situations where I had more leverage. Every circumstance is unique. But as a former player, I like to share my thoughts with them and offer any advice if they need it.”
Notable
— Steph Curry (sprained right index finger) practiced in full on Sunday and is expected to be ready for the regular season.
— Blake Hinson and Jackson Rowe are expected to stay in the organization with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors, Kerr said. They, along with Kevin Knox II, had solid camps before getting waived on Saturday afternoon.
“With Kevin, I think Kevin belongs in the NBA,” Kerr said. “He’s a really good player. And obviously has been in the league for a while. He’s got a chance to get back in. And I think he can play and really build a career. He’s got to decide what he wants to do from here after we waived him. If it doesn’t work out elsewhere, we’d love to have him back in Santa Cruz, but that’ll be his decision.”
— Kerr, who has said this is the deepest roster he’s coached with the Warriors, is going to have difficult conversations over the next three days with players who won’t be in the opening night rotation.
The starting lineup isn’t yet finalized, but Kerr has a good idea. The last full-strength preseason starting lineup was Steph Curry, Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
“This is the most difficult decisions-making I’ve ever had in terms of who’s playing off the bench,” Kerr said. “I feel comfortable playing every guy.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com