GM Dunleavy wants to extend young Warriors

The Warriors boss claims the team wants to keep Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody long-term

When it comes to players reaching the end of their contracts, Mike Dunleavy and the Golden State Warriors have the same attitude as a woman who regrets chopping off her hair: They’re in favor of extensions.

Dunleavy cited the Warriors’ recent history with Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green when he said the Warriors generally try to extend their own players. Steph Curry can obviously extend his own contract this off-season, but the situation with the Warriors’ third-year players is less clear.

Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody are both eligible to sign rookie extensions this summer, after playing for the Dubs for three years. But it’s also not urgent for the Warriors to get those deals done, as both players would simply become restricted free agents next summer if no deal is reached.

Kumings seems like a potential franchise cornerstone, but he’s also one of the Warriors’ two most enticing trade assets, along with Brandin Podziemski. With trade talks for Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz still in play, expect the Warriors to wait on a Kuminga deal.

Negotiations on non-maximum rookie extensions tend to linger until near the start of the regular season. Kuminga should be no exception, as his tantalizing potential hasn’t always translated to on-court results. By which we mainly mean rebounds.

Moses Moody has shown flashes and even played big minutes in the 2022 playoffs when Gary Payton II was out. For whatever reason, Moody seems to always be just outside of Steve Kerr’s rotation. It’s hard to tell how good he is or even how much the franchise values Moody because he only gets consistent playing time when someone is hurt.

That’s why determining a rookie extension for Moody is difficult. Not only is it hard to tell what he’s worth, Moody may well want to go somewhere with greater opportunities to get on the court. Plus, with his bargain rookie salary and youth, he’s an attractive trade chip. Which brings us to the trade market.

Markkanen is eligible to sign his own extension in early August, which would come with a huge raise on next season’s salary. After that, he can’t be traded for six months. That unique situation means that if the Jazz’s All-Star forward signs on the first possible day, he could still be traded on the day of the deadline in February.

That’s why it’s useful to see ***August 6*** as an informal deadline for any Markkanen trade. That’s when Utah will decide on their path forward, and the Warriors will know if either of their young talents is heading to Salt Lake City. The Jazz are rumored to be holding out for Podziemski in a Markkanen trade, but it’s also important to be skeptical about any trade rumor involving Jazz team president Danny Ainge.

The other complicating factor is the NBA’s pending lucrative TV deal, which should keep the salary cap rising at or near its 10% maximum each season. That could make getting cost certainty for Kuminga and Moody, still just TK TK years old, much more appealing, as they’d occupy a smaller portion of the salary cap as years go on.

Our prediction? Kuminga and the Warriors agree on a rookie extension well below the max, but not until just before the season. As for Moody, it makes sense for both sides to wait another year to evaluate one another. If he can truly be a reliable three-and-D wing, Moody should bet on himself.

Even if he ends up in Utah.