Mike Dunleavy, Warriors willing to trade youth for right player – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

SAN FRANCISCO — Although the Warriors have long resisted the idea of ​​making Jonathan Kuminga available in a trade, that position lost some steam Thursday afternoon.

Kuminga and members of Golden State’s youth squad — Trayce Jackson-Davis, Moses Moody and Brandin Podzemski — may not be available on the market — but general manager Mike Dunleavy has made it clear that no one is untouchable.

In order to move any or all of them towards the correct return.

“This has to be something that we feel will unequivocally change the course of our franchise,” Dunleavy said.

Like, for example, adding a nine-time NBA All-Star. Or someone who was voted to the All-NBA team six times. Or maybe a four-time member of the All-Defensive team.

Paul George is all of these things in one. The Warriors, according to league sources, are monitoring George’s status with the Los Angeles Clippers. He could decline his $48.8 million player option for next season and become an unrestricted free agent.

The Clippers, according to president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank, are preparing for that possibility.

“We have had ongoing conversations with his agent, Paul and Aaron Mintz,” Frank told reporters Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles. “We love Paul. We desperately want to keep Paul.

“But we also understand and respect the fact that this is a business. And players have a limited amount of time to not only make the most money but also to be able to pursue what they want.”

George, who turned 34 last month, would be the most attractive UFA available on the market. LeBron James isn’t leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, not with his son Bronny joining them. Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey is a restricted free agent. James Harden is simply less attractive than George.

“Hopefully it’s Paul’s decision to be here. He’s been great. He’s been an All-Star three times out of five years. He’s one of the best players in the league. He’s a great guy, he’s got a great family. Hopefully he’ll be here,” Frank said.

“But we also respect the fact that if he chooses to withdraw, that’s his choice. He deserved it. We’ll see how it goes.”

So will the Warriors. After finishing sixth in the Western Conference in 2023, they dropped to 10th last season. They’re hunting for a big splash.

That means adding an established star with the talent to complement and enhance veteran leaders Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, both in their mid-30s.

George, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound wing, is one of a few prospects who fits the bill.

The Warriors don’t have the cap space to land George as a free agent, so their only way to acquire his services would be via a sign-and-trade deal. This cannot happen until the new salary year begins on July 1.

There are other obstacles to such a deal, all of which can be overcome if all parties are willing.

It’s reasonable to believe that the Warriors would be willing to sacrifice some of their future in order to put themselves in a position to compete for a championship.

Losing any of the four youngsters would be painful. But Kuminga would be the hardest to part with, especially after he improved significantly last season.

“We love these guys, we think they’re going to be really good, so there’s got to be something that makes us a lot better than that,” Dunleavy said.

Paul George has enough skill to immediately make the Warriors much better than “good.” Of all the players who could be available, he may be the only one who can say that about him.