Warriors Eye Underrated Wing Stuck in Offseason Waiting Game

The Golden State Warriors have one more underrated player on their radar who is left hanging by the unresolved Jonathan Kuminga situation, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Aside from the widely reported names — Al Hordord, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II and Seth Curry — former Chicago Bulls wing Javonte Green is “someone the Warriors have linked in the past,” Fischer reported on Bleacher Report’s “NBA Insider Notebook” livestreamed on Aug. 7.

Green, 32, is familiar with the Warriors system, having played for Santa Cruz in the G League during the 2023-24 season. The 6-foot-5 wing split his time last season between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 5.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 18.5 minutes across 68 games last season.

Getty Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors dribbles past Javonte Green, formerly of the New Orleans Pelicans.

But the Warriors are in a holding pattern and remain the only NBA team that has not added a veteran player this offseason. They want to settle Kuminga’s restricted free agency first to get a clear look at their salary books.

“So right now this remains in a holding pattern and all the other Golden State veteran free agent stuff is going to be held off until this happens until there’s some resolution with Kuminga as well, because the Warriors don’t want to be going past the first apron,” Fischer said. “They want to still be working as a team with full access to the taxpayer mid-level exception.”

Warriors Interested in Giddey-Kuminga Swap

In the same livestream, Fischer also reported about the Warriors’ interest in a potential Kuminga-Josh Giddey swap.

“Golden State would be interested, depending on how the machinations could go in some type of Josh Giddey-Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade,” Fischer reported.

Fischer added that the Warriors’ interest in Giddey dated back to the 2021 NBA draft.

“To my understanding, the Warriors were prepared on draft night way back in 2021 for Jonathan Kuminga to go no. 6 to Oklahoma City and they were ready to take Josh Giddey at no. 7,” Fischer said.

GettyJosh Giddey of the Chicago Bulls celebrates a basket against the Milwaukee Bucks.

But the Thunder picked Giddey and the Warriors ended up with Kuminga, who never found his footing in Steve Kerr’s system.

The pass-first Giddey would have a better chance of thriving under Kerr.

The Australian point guard is coming off his best season in the NBA as the Bulls’ primary playmaker. He averaged a career-high 7.2 assists to go with 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He also shot a career-best 37.8% from the 3-point line.

Malcolm Brogdon Addition Remains a ‘Possibility’

Aside from Green, former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon remains a possibility for the Warriors, according to Fischer.

“There’s still going to be plenty left to be discussed for Golden State even after Jonathan Kuminga’s situation does get resolved,” Fischer said on Bleacher Report’s “NBA Insider Notebook” livestreamed on Aug. 7. “But I still think Malcolm Brogdon is someone to keep an eye on for the Warriors.

“To my understanding, Golden State looked at Brogdon on the trade market back during last season when the Warriors were looking at options for De’Anthony Melton trade back then, before they went out and traded for Dennis Schroder. So, he’s been on their radar for some time. He’s definitely still on their radar now.”

GettyMalcolm Brogdon remains on the Golden State Warriors’ radar.

Brogdon is coming off his second-lowest scoring season in his career. A left ankle sprain sidelined him for the final 28 games after only playing a career-low 24 games.

The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 12.7 points while shooting a career-worst 28.6% from the three-point line, 4.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game for the tanking Wizards.

Injuries have derailed his once-promising career. He has not played over 70 games since his rookie season. Since the Boston Celtics shipped him to Portland in 2023, Brogdon has only played in 63 games across the last two seasons.

When healthy, Brogdon provides a steady hand and tough perimeter defense off the bench with his 6 feet 10.5 inches wingspan.