Golden State's contract negotiations with restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga could be the result of a key adverse influence.
Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga talks iced by surprise issue, suggests rival GM originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Golden State Warriors' paused contract negotiations with restricted free agent power forward Jonathan Kuminga have hit a severe snag. The club's could be suffering from a key adverse influence.
Per Sean Deveney of Athlon, a rival general manager recently reflected on how majority owner Joe Lacob's reverence for Kuminga could be to blame for obstructing the front office's business this summer.
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“Lacob has been a great owner for them, he got the new building (the Chase Center), he raised that whole franchise, you’ve got to give him that,” the general manager said. “But it’s dangerous for a front office when the owner falls in love with a player and that’s what happened here. What they’re dealing with now is the fallout of that.”
The general manager suggested that Lacob's infatuation with Kuminga has impeded on several past possible trades.
“They have had plenty of chances to trade Jonathan Kuminga in the last two or three years, and even longer than that,” the general manager observed. “They were willing to do it and do it at a time when you could have gotten value for him, a pick and a player, that kind of thing. But (Lacob) would not hear it."
The 22-year-old has received some interest from opposing teams as potential sign-and-trade fodder, specifically the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns — but apparently, the Warriors aren't as smitten with their offers as Lacob is with Kuminga.
“We’re past that kind of move now," the general manager added. "They’re going to wind up with pennies on the dollar for Kuminga, and that is on the owner.”
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Category: Basketball
