Take stock of Warriors needs this summer: exchange Kuminga for valuable assets to strengthen the inside and stabilize the shooter

Translator's note: The original text was published in Bleacher Report. The data in the text were as of the time of publication (May 15th local time), and the date involved has been converted. The views in the article have nothing to do with the translator and the platform.

The Golden State Warriors have ended their 2025 NBA playoff journey after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-121 on Thursday, and they will usher in their offseason.

Why did the Warriors get out after five games in the second round? The reason is not complicated, that is, Stephen Curry missed the last four games. Curry's absence usually means the Warriors' doomsday for years.

So we will turn to focus on what will happen next. Where will the Warriors go? What do they need? And how will they get what they need?

Next, we will analyze the Warriors' biggest needs and come up with some bold predictions. The Warriors will trade to get another star (or quasi-star) player to introduce Jimmy Butler, and his subsequent early contract renewal with the Warriors, all show that the Warriors' management is committed to the present.

Curry is already 37 years old, and he just missed the final stage of this playoff due to a hamstring strain. Curry is unlikely to become less susceptible to injury, and certainly not to become younger.

Therefore, the Warriors, who did not consume a lot of trading assets when they introduced Butler, should (and will likely) explore various possibilities during the offseason to introduce another experienced player who can change the situation.

Without trading Draymond Green, the Warriors would not be able to collect all contracts to match their salary, but Moses Moody and Buddy Hilde combined for the 2025-26 season to pay about $20 million. Adding to another young player, and perhaps packing the three for Jonathan Cumingga’s sign-on and then switch (this will be discussed in more detail later), the Warriors could reach financially the range of introducing a player who could really help Curry’s career at the end of his career.

Of course, to introduce NBA players who can help the team win, it often requires more than just the salary you give. And luckily, the Warriors have multiple first-round picks that they can put into the trade. Can the Warriors reconsider Kevin Durant? Will the Boston Celtics consider pushing down and rebuilding during the season considered a transitional period during Jason Tatum’s recovery from a torn Achilles tendon? The Warriors may not have enough chips to chase Giannis Antetokounmpo, the biggest potential target this summer, but they can still make a deal that is focused on winning the moment. The Warriors need a center

Draymond Green can still play some fives in a short time. As a defender and inside finisher, Teres Jackson Davis has had some impressive moments in the past few years. Quinten Post’s outside projection offers some complimentary possibilities. And even Kevin Looney, his continuous efforts and sense of rebounding can help the Warriors.

But even with all the above players, the Warriors still don't have a real starting center to partner with Curry and Butler and stabilize the lineup.

In the dynasty established by this team more than a decade ago, Andrew Bogut was one of the forgotten catalysts. Bogut was the No. 1 pick, but his career seemed to be hampered by the devastating injuries he suffered with the Milwaukee Bucks.

By relying on his body shape, defensive intuition, passing ability and willingness to sacrifice mobile phone opportunities for the benefit of the team, Bogut is an ideal candidate for the Young Warriors.

And while players like Bogut are not at your fingertips, the Warriors do need another big player who fits these many traits.

Draymond will not be traded

Draymond's salary for the 2025-26 season may be the key to making a salary match for a big deal. And it may be a good thing to be able to keep some distance from his repeated outbursts on the court.

But he and Stephen Curry are not only part of the Warriors' genes for more than ten years of glorious history, they are also an important part of this gene chain.

It was already hard enough to let Klay Thompson go last summer. Don't expect the Warriors to further weaken their old foundation.

Even if Green is 35 years old and is likely to receive more technical and malicious fouls next season, he seems destined to end his career in the way of ending his life with the Warriors.

The Warriors need more powerful shooting abilities

This may sound strange for a team with Curry and Hilder, but the Warriors need to find a more reliable three-point shooter.

In the 2024-25 season, the Warriors ranked fourth in the average three-point shooting percentage, but their three-point shooting percentage ranks only 15th and their effective shooting percentage ranks 20th.

And other players in the Warriors have only 34.6% of their three-point shooting percentage, except Curry, Hilder or Andrew Wiggins (who left the team in Butler's trade).

As Curry and Butler grow old and approach retirement, the Warriors need to build the most suitable space around the two so that they can perform well. But at present, the Warriors do not have such conditions.

Jonathan Kumingga will leave... By signing first and then changing, this situation has been brewing for several years.

Jonathan Kumingga's style of play has not been perfectly integrated into Steve Cole's tactical system of emphasis on ball transfer and player movement. And Cole seems to have exhausted his patience when trying to train Kumingga into a player more suitable for the team system.

Before Curry was injured, Cumingga had been completely removed from the playoff rotation, although he averaged 15.3 points per game in the regular season, the third highest in the Warriors' current lineup.

Kumingga will become a restricted free agent this summer, and it is almost certain that he will play for another team in the 2025-26 season, but the Warriors really can't let him go for nothing.

As mentioned above, the Warriors don't have much quality trading assets outside Curry, Butler and Green. Kumingga is probably the best one. And while sending Kuminga away by signing first and then switching may cause the team to face a hard salary cap in the 2025-26 season, this may be the best way to switch back to any player of some value this summer.